Dadri lynching: Village limping back to normalcy, political blame game continues

Dadri: Dadri's Bishada village in Uttar Pradesh was on Friday slowly limping back to mormalcy after days of tension over the lynching of a man over rumours of eating beef even as the political blame game continued.

The 52-year-old lynching victim Mohammad Iqlakh's son Sartaj, who is a corporal with the Indian Air Force, meanwhile, has been provided an accomodation in Delhi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said. Sources said Sarjat's family has already moved into IAF's accomodation at Subroto Park.

Giving a clean chit to two persons whose names are cropping up in connection with the Dadri incident on September 28 that sparked a nationwide outrage, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi accused the Samajwadi Party(SP) and the party-ruled government in UP of "manipulating" and "politicising" the attack.

"UP government is manipulating to serve its own aims. I know the two youths, the names of whom are being dragged into this. They have nothing to do with the issue. These names are being touted by the incompetent UP police and UP government which has been consistently lying," she told reporters in Delhi.

Maneka's remarks came a day after SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav blamed people of a particular party for the incident. Yadav, however, did not name any party. Commenting on Mulayam's remarks, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said BJP neither believed or indulged in politics of caste or religion.

"It could be true that some persons might be trying to take mileage by creating communal tension but in a healthy democracy this should not be done," he said in Lucknow.

As police kept a close vigil in and around Bishada village, several Hindu neighbours met the family members of Iqlakh to express their condolences.

"Due to the tense situation, we had refrained from visiting Iqlakh's house. We have had cordial relations with the family for decades," said one of the neighbours of Iqlakh.

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Iqlakh's family members said they will stay in the village as UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has assured them of security and safety. District Magistrate NP Singh and SSP Kiran S visited the neighbouring villages of Bishada last night and held peace meetings with residents to maintain communal harmony.

Children went to school and people for work even as entry of visitors remained restricted and heavy police force kept a close vigil on the situation in the village.

"Iqhlakh's wife Ikrama, mother Asgari Begum, daughter Shaista and other family members are in the village house," said Jamil Ahmad, brother of Iqhlakh. "We will not leave the village," said Ahmad.

The Gautam Budh Nagar DM has said the family has been provided round-the-clock police protection. Meanwhile, the condition of Danish, son of Iqlakh, who was injured in the attack, has improved but he is yet to give a statement to the police.