Muslim leaders blast UP government over riots

Muslim leaders and activists Wednesday denounced the Samajwadi Party government for failing to check the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh that left over 40 people dead.

A meeting of Muslim intellectuals and social and cultural groups organised by the Sir Syed Awareness Forum here also criticised the ruling party for not fulfilling its election promises.

Renowned Islamic scholar M. Saud Alam Qasmi said the Samajwadi Party was playing politics with Muslim sentiments instead of providing, as promised, 18 percent reservation in jobs to Muslims. 

He declared that Muslims “will teach a lesson” to the Akhilesh Yadav government in the next election.

Social worker Najam Abbasi said the Samajwadi Party government was not worried about the security of Muslims.

Shakeel Samdani, president of Sir Syed Awareness Forum and general secretary of United Muslim Organisation, said communal riots were harming the secular fabric of India. 

He said the Sep 7-9 Muzaffarnagar violence was a part of a larger conspiracy and “the so-called pro-Muslim government of UP has miserably failed to contain these riots”. 

He demanded that the compensation for those killed in the riots should be raised to Rs.25 lakh and for the injured to Rs.5 lakh. 

The secretary of the forum, Mansoor Ilahi, accused the social media of playing a negative role in the riots. 

The general secretary of Aligarh Zakat Fund, Obaid Iqbal Asim, said the Samajwadi Party would no more be able to fool the Muslim community.

A resolution passed at the meeting demanded “stringent action” against everyone who indulged in violence in Muzaffarnagar.

It also expressed deep concern over the silence of Samajwadi Party’s Muslim leaders over the violence. This, it said, would lead to their rout in the next election.

IANS