Lucknow, March 27 (IANS) A Supreme Court rap over official carelessness and laxity vis-a-vis the Muzaffarnagar communal riots is bad news for the ruling Samjwadi Party ahead of the Lok Sabha election.
As opposition parties bay for Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's ouster, his party is haunted by the spectre of losing the crucial Muslim vote in western Uttar Pradesh April 10.
The father-son duo of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav have been fire-fighting since the violence left 63 people dead and thousands homeless.
They felt they had succeeded somewhat -- in putting the blot on the government behind them.
Insiders in the chief minister's office admit that the wounds of the riot victims have been revisited after the judicial rap.
While hearing a petition on the riots that singed Muzaffarnagar and nearby areas in September, the apex court Wednesday said that prima facie the state government failed in the initial phases of the violence.
The rebuke, old-timers warn, would spur fresh polarization among the Muslims and Jats in the region.
Muslim votes might now get evenly divided between Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
The Samajwadi Party, many feel, will only get fringe votes in the area. This will eventually help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as Muslim and non-Muslim votes fragment.
The BJP is looking for major gains in the sprawling region. It is significant that BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi began his Uttar Pradesh campaign from Bulandshahr in the region.
He is scheduled to address more rallies there including in Baghpat. Mayawati too has meetings lined up in Bijnore and Aligarh. Mulayam Singh and Akhielsh Yadav will address rallies at Baghpat, Hapur, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Bijnore, Kairana and Muzaffarnagar.
The sizeable Jat community is cut up with the Samajwadi Party for what it says is police victimization after the riots.
A businessman from the powerful Baliyan community told IANS that the ruling party would be taught a lesson in the election.
Even insiders in the Samajwadi Party admit the court observations have nipped the hopes of its revival in western Uttar Pradesh.
The BJP won only 10 of Uttar Pradesh's 80 seats in the 2009 Lok Sabha election. Its calculation is that it should sweep the state so that it is able to form a government in New Delhi.
The Lok Sabha seats in the region include Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Bijnore, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Khurja, Amroha, Baghpat, Rampur and Kairana.
The Congress, many feel, has no stakes in the region and has left things to its alliance partner, the RLD.
Of the 6,405 people booked after the riots, only 390 have been arrested in the last six months. Final reports have been given in some 50 cases and chargesheets served in just 42 cases.
The tardy investigation has hurt Muslims, who blame the Samajwadi Party for failing to protect them and ensure justice.
Ghulam Mohammad Jaula, a prominent activist, accuses the police of doing nothing even as thousands of accused roam free in this election season.
Gaza War: No consensus on a ceasefire in Gaza, Russia vetoed America's proposal in UNSC
Amid Israel's bombardment in Gaza, once again a consensus could not be reached on the ceasefire i
A few days ago, a train hijack incident took place in Balochistan, a terror-hit Pakistan. Baloch
Rupee at All-time Low: Rupee closed at a historical low, closed at 77.73 against one dollar
Rupee at All Time Low: The fall in the rupee against the dollar is not taking its name. The India
The weekend curfew, which lasted for 55 consecutive hours in Delhi from 10 pm on Friday to 5 am o
Asaduddin Owaisi compared hijab with vermilion and mangalsutra, said - Allah's decree in the Quran
The judges of the Supreme Court were divided on Thursday regarding the ban on hijab and now the m
The trailer of South Cinema's much-awaited film Thug Life has been released. 70-year-old Kamal Ha
NHRC issues notice to chemicals, fertilizers ministry
New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) The NHRC has issued notice to the
Sitharaman meets Bedi, Hopeful of winning Delhi polls
New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) BJP leader Niramala Sitharaman Sunday visited the party's chief ministe
Centre not Satisfied with Report on Alam Release
New Delhi, March 9 (IANS) Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday the central government was
On Monday, March 7, 2022, the Supreme Court heard the petition of three candidates seeking one mo
