Police Probing Claim That Hindus Driven Out Of Uttar Pradesh's Kairana

Shamli: The police in western Uttar Pradesh are investigating complaints that several Hindu families in Kairana, a small town in the Shamli district, have been forced to flee after targeted attacks over the last two years.

The BJP lawmaker from Kairana, Hukum Singh, has alleged that 346 families have been forced to flee the town, which has an 85 per cent Muslim population, after attacks.

Police however have denied that there has been such a large migration. "I have heard of a list and we have asked for it too. We will verify each and every name on it. Some people from there came to meet me and have told me that they have not fled and that their names have just been added to that list," Ashok Kumar Raghav, a senior police officer in the area, said.

The BJP however said the state's Chief Secretary and Director General of Police have been served a notice by the National Human Rights Commission after it brought individual cases to the panel's attention. The rights commission has asked them to reply within four weeks to the allegations that families of a particular religion are leaving the area due to fear of criminals.

Meanwhile, nine-member BJP team will visit Kairana to probe into the migration of families.

The BJP has also accused the Samajwadi Party government of patronising those behind the violence against Hindus - a charge that has been met with a strong denial.

"Hooliganism has happened under government rule. This is the condition of law and order. The government of UP is protecting the culprits," Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan said.

Juhi Singh, a spokesperson for the Samajwadi Party, said, "This incident points to an attempt to polarise the atmosphere in western UP. This is the same BJP MP who earlier said he wouldn't let those living in Muzaffarnagar relief camps vote. Some isolated incidents are being taken out of context and hyped up."