Muzaffarnagar: Sangeet Som surrenders, Rajnath cancels UP visit

Good three days after the arrest warrants were issued against odd seven political leaders for inciting the mob, the arrests actually started yesterday. With the arrest of BJP MLA Suresh Rana, another MLA Sangeet Som surrendered today. He was arrested and later taken to the court.

Som had been accused of circulating a video that claimed to show the lynching of two Hindu Jat boys which triggered the riots. However, the video was later found to be fake.

Som has refuted all the charges saying that he merely ‘shared’ the video on social media. “I only shared the video, sharing is no crime,” Som was quoted as saying by CNN IBN. He further said that he is not the kind of person who would exploit riots and blamed the state government for inciting communal violence.

Som was served with the arrest warrant and he surrendered saying he was a “law abiding citizen”.

Meanwhile, BJP president Rajnath Singh cancelled his visit to the district. Reportedly the district magistrate of the area had suggested him to cancel his visit on the grounds that his visit may vitiate the situation. UP CM Akhilesh Yadav is also learnt to have advised Singh to cancel his visit.

While addressing the media, Singh accused the UP government of “hounding innocents” and harbouring guilty. He told reporters that a delegation of BJP members will meet the President on September 24 and demand for invoking President’s rule in the state.

A court in Muzaffarnagar had on Wednesday issued arrest warrants against 16 politicians and community leaders including Mr. Som, BSP MP Qadir Rana, BJP MLA Bhartendu Singh, BSP MLAs Noor Saleem and Maulana Jameel, Congress leader Saeeduzaman and BKU chief Naresh Tikait. They are wanted for violating prohibitory orders and provoking communal tension by inflammatory speeches in different meetings (mahapanchayats) in the district.

The communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas claimed 47 lives and displaced over 40,000 people.

A sting operation led by a leading news channel had shown ruling SP in the bad light. In the video, two police officers reportedly admitted to having delayed taking action to contain the violence under “political pressure”. They were transferred on Tuesday night.