India - Meerut violence: Over 3,600 booked, BJP MLA Som's supporters give call for another panchayat

The Times of India
Meerut violence: Over 3,600 booked, BJP MLA Sangeet Som's supporters give call for another panchayat
Ashish Tripathi, TNN | Sep 30, 2013, 06.57 PM IST

BJP MLA Sangeet Singh Som's wife and brothers have been booked for violating prohibitory orders and organizing panchayat in Khera village.

LUCKNOW: The Meerut police on Monday lodged cases against 3,605 people including BJP MLA Sangeet Singh Som's wife and brothers for violating prohibitory orders and organizing panchayat in Khera village under Sardhana area on Sunday, which led to clashes between villagers and police, leaving over 20 people injured.

The situation continued to remain tense as defiant supporters of the BJP MLA from Sardhana gave call of holding another panchayat on October 10 if their demand to withdraw cases against villagers and to release Som were not met by then. Som has been arrested and booked under the National Security Act on charges of inciting recent communal riots in Muzaffarnagar in which 62 people were killed and over 50,000 displaced.


He allegedly gave provocative speeches as well as shared and circulated fake CD which triggered the riots.

Inspector general of police (law and order) RK Vishwakarma told reporters that total 10 FIRs have been lodged in connection with Sunday's violence in Meerut. People have been booked for rioting, damaging government vehicles, vandalism, attempt to murder and arson. While 106 people have been named in the FIRs, over 3,500 are unidentified.

So far, 27 people have been arrested. Those booked include Son's wife Preeti, brothers Sagar and Prem as well as personal assistant Chandrashekhar, who organised the panchayat. Sagar has also been taken into custody. Heavy police force has been deployed in the village after the clash to deal with any untoward incident.

However, the action has not been able to deter Som's supporters and BJP workers. The Sunday panchayat was fo 24 villages under Sardhana assembly constituency dominated by the Thakur caste. Now, according to reports, a panchayat of 84 villages has been called on October 10 in which all castes have been invited. Large number of women will also take part in the panchayat. Som's supporters also demanded arrest of politicians of other political parties accused in the case.

Over 20 politicians have been booked for inciting Muzaffarnagar riots. BJP MLA Suresh Rana has also been booked under the NSA. BSP MLA Noor Saleem Rana was arrested but was later granted bail. However, other accused including BJP MLA Bhartendu, BSP MP Kadir Rana, BSP MLA Maulana Jameel Ahmad and former Congress minister Saeed-uz-Zaman have not been arrested so far.

When asked about BJP state president Laxmikant Bajpayi 's allegation that one Maulana Nazir, who was also booked in connection with riots, but instead of arresting him, officials recently escorted him on a state aircraft for a meeting with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Vishwakarma said he can't reply as he is not aware of the entire matter. Regarding allegations of selective arrests and targeting of BJP leaders, he said that every accused will be arrested soon.

Earlier, during the day, Bajpayi had released copies of FIR and alleged that Maulana Nazir, who has been booked for riots was brought along with other Muslim clerics to Lucknow on a state place for a meeting with chief minister and SP president.

Regarding the call to hold another panchayat on October 10, Vishwakarma said that the decision to allow or ban the event will be taken by the Meerut district administration depending on the circumstances. "As far as I know the policy of the government is not to allow any event which can escalate tension and cause violence," he said.

When asked that violence erupted in Meerut after district officials refused to take memorandum being given by the locals, Vishwakarma said that since the panchayat was banned by the administration, the visit of officials to take memorandum would have mistaken as legitimizing the gathering.