Lucknow, Aug 28 (UNI) The principle opposition Samajwadi Party members on Tuesday staged a noisy walk-out from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly protesting BJP government's move to withdraw cases against the accused in the Muzaffarnagar riot cases.
The treasury bench also faced some embarrassment when the members drew the Chair's attention to the discrepancies in the reply of the Minister on the number of communal incidents in the state.
While replying to a question of SP member Sanjay Garg during Question Hour, State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said that communal riots were reported only from Bijnore and Etah between January 2017 to July 31, 2018.
But the SP member said that the Union minister of state for Home in Parliament on February 6, 2018, had informed the members through a written statement that UP had topped the number of communal incidents in 2017 with 195 incidents in which 44 people were killed.
Asserting that such discrepancy was serious as the state home department had given different replies demanding action against the officials, Mr Garg said the reply by the state government on his question shows that they are trying to cover up the incidents.
The state minister, though refrained from replying about the discrepancy, said that government was committed to punishing the guilty for any communal riots in the state and claimed that the festivals in the state had passed off peacefully.
But the SP leaders led by leader of the opposition Ram Govind Choudhury raised the issue of the government's move to withdraw cases against the BJP leaders accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots.
The charges created some noisy scenes in the House, with members from both sides charging against each other. Mr Khanna, defending the government side, said that SP when came to power in 2012, moved a petition to withdraw cases against the terrorists, who were given life term by the court last week.
Later, the SP staged a noisy walkout from the House in protest against the government over withdrawal of cases against BJP leaders in the Muzaffarnagar riots.
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