MUZAFFARNAGAR: Narendra Modi's upcoming rally in Meerut on February 2 has sent the administration into a tizzy, grappling as it is with the aftermath of the communal riots in Muzaffarnagar five months ago and fears possible hooliganism by supporters of the BJP's prime ministerial candidate after the gathering.
The district administration has summoned up extra forces to keep an eye on convoys of Modi's supporters when they return to their native villages after the rally, a police official said on the condition of anonymity, adding that a repeat of September 2013 could not be ruled out since the riots at that time involved violence by Jats who were returning from a mahapanchayat near Muzaffarnagar.
"It is not Modi but the Modi-effect on an aggressive Hindu community here that we are worried about," the official involved with the preparation said. "This district has already seen one of the worst instances of communal violence last year. And our force has faced severe criticism for it, so we do not want a repetition of this bawlapan (madness)." Members of the Muslim community say the police should take all precautions to maintain order.
"Last year's violence was an anomaly in the history of this sugarcane belt which fought off rioters even during the post-Partition days together," said a Muslim shopkeeper in Shahpur who did not wish to be named.
Source: The Economic Times
The district administration has summoned up extra forces to keep an eye on convoys of Modi's supporters when they return to their native villages after the rally, a police official said on the condition of anonymity, adding that a repeat of September 2013 could not be ruled out since the riots at that time involved violence by Jats who were returning from a mahapanchayat near Muzaffarnagar.
| Meerut-Rally: 02-Feb Narendra-Modi Live |
Modi has eschewed contentious issues such as his party's resolve to construct a Ram Mandir at Ayodhya in his speeches in Uttar Pradesh, focusing instead on developmental issues. However, the police administration is taking no chance as Gujarat chief minister Modi continues to face political charges of inaction and worse during the 2002 anti-Muslim riots on his watch despite being exonerated by the courts. |
"It is not Modi but the Modi-effect on an aggressive Hindu community here that we are worried about," the official involved with the preparation said. "This district has already seen one of the worst instances of communal violence last year. And our force has faced severe criticism for it, so we do not want a repetition of this bawlapan (madness)." Members of the Muslim community say the police should take all precautions to maintain order.
"Last year's violence was an anomaly in the history of this sugarcane belt which fought off rioters even during the post-Partition days together," said a Muslim shopkeeper in Shahpur who did not wish to be named.
Source: The Economic Times
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