A police officer said no FIR could be filed at four police stations without the permission of the area’s BJP MLA Sureshwar Singh
Team Clarion
LUCKNOW — In a startling revelation, two Hindu youths have claimed that the Uttar Pradesh police gave the rioters a free hand for two hours to attack Muslims and destroy their properties in Bahraich District.
The claim is part of an investigative report by Hindi daily Dainik Bhashkar. Talking to the daily’s undercover reporters, the two youths, Sabori Mishra and Prem Mishra, confessed that they were part of rioters who carried out violence against Muslims in Maharajganj on 14 October. The conversation between the reporter and the rioters was recorded in a hidden camera. On Tuesday, the Hindi daily published a report “Bahraich Violence: Rioters Say Police Force Went Away for 2 Hours, Some Betrayed Us, Else Maharajganj Was to be Wiped Off”.
“Yesterday (14 October), a couple of vehicle agencies were set on fire. Vehicles were burnt down. Shops were torched. Several costly vehicles were set on fire. Several men had come together. It’s not necessary that we would set the vehicles on fire. We took turns in burning the vehicles. Some people betrayed us. Otherwise, the entire Maharajganj would have been wiped off. The police had given us two hours. All of the police force had gone away,” Sabori Mishra and Prem Mishra could be heard in the recorded video as telling the undercover reporter.
They also said that the ones who got the chance set them on fire.
On 14 October following the death of Ram Gopal Mishra, hundreds of people from the surrounding village attacked the houses and shops of Muslims. The rioters set ablaze a showroom of two-wheelers setting about 30 bikes on fire. They also set ablaze Lucknow Sewa Hospital as it was owned by a Muslim.
A police officer said that Abdul Hameed, who allegedly shot dead Mishra, had previous animosity with the deceased. Had there not been any animosity between them, Mishra would not remove the flag from Hameed’s house. Flags were put on the rooftops of all Muslim houses in the area.
The cop also said that no FIR could be filed at four police stations without the permission of the area’s BJP MLA Sureshwar Singh.
Reacting to the report, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of causing the riots in Bahraich.
“BJP cannot give employment to your children but only bombs and destruction. Watch Dainik Bhaskar’s investigation carefully to see how BJP caused the Bahraich riots as part of a well-planned conspiracy. The policemen who tried to stop the riots were suspended and are being called traitors,” he said.
Former chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also blamed the BJP for playing a role in the riots.
“BJP was involved in the violence that broke out in Bahraich. BJP MLAs are filing complaints against their own party workers for conspiring and inciting violence,” Yadav said.
The SP chief further asserted that the district magistrate acted as the district president of the BJP.
“It is even being heard that the district magistrate has become the district president of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Is this what is taught in the IAS Academy? If anyone was responsible for instigating riots in Uttar Pradesh, it was the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party.”
