Dadri lynching: Maneka Gandhi shields ‘accused’
Minister says duo has been named to cover up SP government’s incompetence
New Delhi: Giving a clean chit to two persons whose names are coming up over the Dadri lynching incident, Union minister Maneka Gandhi on Friday accused the SP and the UP government of “manipulating” and “politicising” the issue.
“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 toute by the incompetent UP police and UP government which has been consistently lying,” she said.
The woman and child development minister rejected SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s assertion on Thursday that it was a “pre-planned” conspiracy hatched by some persons of a particular party and that they were also behind the 2013 communal riots in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar in which 62 people were killed.
“The entire issue is being politicised. Whatever has happened is unfortunate. Whoever was behind the (Dadri) incident should be punished and law of the land should prevail,” she said, adding, “innocent people are being targeted,” the minister said on the sidelines of a programme in south-east Delhi.
Normalcy returns to Dadri
The situation in Bishada village of Uttar Pradesh is limping back to normalcy 11 days after a man was killed over rumours that he stored and consumed beef even as police kept a close vigil on the area.
Iqlakh’s family members said they will stay in the village as UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav assured security and safety. District magistrate N.P. Singh and SSP Kiran S. 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.