Lucknow: A delegation of BSP leaders met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday and complained that the party supremo, Mayawati was “deliberately not provided security” by the administration during her Saharanpur visit. A memorandum was also submitted to the chief minister in this regard.
“The party had requested the district magistrate and the SSP to build a helipad near Shabbirpur in Saharanpur for her (Mayawati’s) visit yesterday but the permission was not granted,” the memorandum stated.
The delegation headed by party MP Satish Chandra Mishra, Laliji Verma and Ram Achal Rajbhar alleged that the former CM was not given adequate security and in the absence of senior officers she could have been harmed by the crowd.
“It appeared that the administration and police deliberately did not provide security to her,” it said.
At a time when myriad questions are being raised regarding the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, fresh clashes have resulted in the death of one person and injuring several after Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati’s public meeting in Saharanpur district’s Shabbirpur village.
A total of 24 people have been reportedly injured in what victims say, has been caused largely by “Rajputs” or upper caste Hindus in the region.
The spiraling caste-based violence in the region has increased due to high “political undercurrents” and inaction by police, despite repeated warnings by UP chief minister.
Fresh reports of scattered attacks emerged after Mayawati blamed the UP government for the clashes during a public meet in Shabbirpur village, the core of the violence. It was reported that victims – in small groups spread across different areas – were attacked when they were returning after attending the BSP supremo’s address.
Claiming that the Dalits in Saharanpur are feeling insecure since police forces are not present there, the BSP leaders also demanded Rs five lakh compensation for those whose property was damaged and Rs one lakh for those injured in the violence.
Taking note that the police have failed to contain the tension emanating from Shabbirpur village, the UP government has suspended the Saharanpur District Magistrate N P Singh and the Senior Superintendent of Police Subhash Chandra Dubey for allegedly neglecting the situation in the region.
Apart from the top officials, the government also removed Divisional Commissioner MP Agarwal and DIG (Range) JK Sahi, adds the report.
Awanish Kumar, Principal Secretary (Information), said the suspensions were in light of the recent violent clashes in the region that have taken a violent form. It has also been learned that Pramod Kumar will be the new DM of the region while Bablu Kumar will assume the role of SSP.
The epicenter of the amplifying violence was in the Shabbirpur village, which is not only home to around 600 Dalits and 900 Thakurs, but also several Muslims, who were also sucked into the violence that was primarily between the two communities.
