Describing tensions in UP's Meerut district as unfortunate, Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for orchestrating riots in western Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.
In the backdrop of Muzaffarnagar riots, clashes broke out in Khera village among locals and the police at the venue of a mahapanchayat that had been banned by the Meerut administration.
As per a PTI report, one person was injured during the violence and 50-60 people were arrested by the police.
"So far, communal violence was limited to Muzaffarnagar, but today an attempt was made by the communal forces to spread it to Meerut, which is unfortunate," said SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, while addressing students of Mumtaj College in Lucknow.
Congress president of the UP unit, Rita Bahuguna, said that BJP had instigated the communal violence in order to gain power at the centre. She further blamed the SP government in UP as well for the violence in the region and called for a CBI enquiry in the Muzaffarnagar riots and the Meerut violence.
Muzaffarnagar communal violence had left 50 dead and around 50,000 people displaced. On 21 September, BJP MLA Sangeet Som and Bahujana Samaj Party MLA Noor Salema Rana were arrested for their alleged role in fanning the violence in Muzaffarnagar.
Following this, supporters of the BJP MLA Som had called a Mahapanchayat to protest against his arrest. The local administration had refused to give permit for the Mahapanchayat and on Saturday imposed prohibitory orders in the Khera village.
Moreover, the administration claimed that the supporters had agreed to postpone the gathering.
However, clashes broke out at the venue on Sunday as rumours of women being injured by the police spread in the area. Irate villagers started pelting stones on the police. They vandalised few police vehicles and set them on fire. Media vans were attacked as well. Police lobbed teargas shells and fired warning shots in the air to bring the situation under control.
Click here for Congress leader Rita Bahuguna interview.
