Uttar Pradesh Police have sought to book Union minister Mahesh Sharma, BJP legislator Sangeet Som and BSP leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui for their “inflammatory” speeches and actions in the aftermath of the Dadri lynching.
Police sought to file first information reports (FIRs) against these leaders as they had breached the prohibitory orders clamped in Bisara village after the killing of 50-year-old Mohammed Akhlaq, officials said. Akhlaq was killed by a mob after a rumour that he and his family members had eaten beef.
In his report, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Sanjay Kumar Yadav said that the three leaders were given permission only to meet the bereaved family.
However, the leaders breached the understanding and addressed public gatherings in the village, and at some point in time made inflammatory comments that could further escalate communal tension in the area, the report pointed out.
Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma, who is also a BJP Lok Sabha member from Noida, had soon after visiting Dadri said that the lynching “was an incident borne out of a rumour of cow slaughter and not a pre-planned murder”.
Sangeet Som, Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from neighbouring Sardhana constituency, pledged before people that “if innocent people are framed by police, the reaction will be severe (muh tod jawaab diya jayega)”.
Bahujan Samaj Party leader Siddiqui, too, addressed the people in the area and made political statements against the state government.
District officials of Noida said they are considering legal opinion and would act accordingly.
Akhlaq was beaten to death by an angry mob on 29 September and his son Danish was injured seriously after an announcement was made from a temple that the family had eaten beef.
The incident sparked off an outrage across the country. Ten people have been arrested so far in connection with the murder. The Uttar Pradesh government has provided a Rs.30 lakh compensation to the family of Akhlaq.
(IANS)