Muzaffarnagar Riots: UP Government Failed To Protect Rights, Says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India today ruled that the Akhilesh Yadav led Uttar Pradesh Government had failed to protect the fundamental rights of the people in Muzaffarnagar. The court also blamed the UP Government for its negligence in the case of the riots and added that there was no need for any probe by a Special Investigation Team or the CBI. The Supreme Court’s ruling comes in the middle of the looming national election campaigns.

Responding to a batch of petitions, the court said that all the accused named in riot cases must be arrested irrespective of their political affiliation and asked the government to provide police protection to the rape victims during the riots. Sixteen politicians were charged with inciting violence, including the area’s BSP parliamentarian Kadir Rana, two BJP legislators and a BSP legislator.

The infamous riots erupted in September, last year, as a continuation of a communal killing of a Muslim and two Jats. The clashes continued into several days with the politicians and religious leaders igniting communal violence through their infuriating and provocative speeches, killing more than sixty people and injuring hundreds with the army deployed in the region and a curfew imposed on Muzaffarnagar.  Rape and sexual harassment cases were also registered with no arrests made. Petitions were filed against the laxness of the state government in handling the issue and the failure in conducting a fair probe into the riots

Infoeditor