UP government's report to Centre on Dadri omits ‘murder’

Lucknow/New Delhi: Battling high-voltage communal tension after the Dadri lynching, the Uttar Pradesh police on Tuesday registered cases against BJP leader and Union minister Mahesh Sharma, BJP MLA Sangeet Som and BSP leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui for violating prohibitory orders and making inflammatory remarks over the horrific incident in Bishada village.

Incidentally, the state government report did not mention the murder charge (under IPC Section 302) against the accused though it said the charge of attempt to murder (IPC 307) was slapped against the accused. Sources said the MHA may seek clarification from the state government and ask for an updated report if required.

On Tuesday, the police recovered another dead body, of a young man, that stoked further tension in Dadri’s Bishada village. Jay Prakash, 24, was found dead in his house at the village, about 60 km from Delhi, and his family alleged he was being harassed by the police despite his name not figuring in the list of absconders being hunted for Iqlakh’s killing.

Acting cautiously in the situation, the BJP on Tuesday asked its leaders to maintain restraint in making statements that it feared may flare up communal passions.
However, notwithstanding the order, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj stoked a fresh controversy, saying Hindus consider cow as their mother and used the analogy of a terrorist who attacks the country and gets killed in the process.

Another BJP MP Adityanath blamed the Uttar Pradesh government’s “negligence” for the killing of a Muslim, while a party MLA from the state called it a “normal crime” and not communal.

“If someone insults our mother, we would rather die than tolerate it...for us it is Bharat mata, our biological mother and gau mata...I want to ask Mohd Azam Khan and those who favour eating beef as to how would they feel if someone they revere as their mother is cut,” the  MP said.