By-elections in Uttar Pradesh are due next week.
In a week from now, Uttar Pradesh will see by-elections for three seats, including Muzaffarnagar that saw riots in 2013. As campaigning enters its final phase, political rivals have begun invoking the riots to target each other.
At a campaign rally for the BJP candidate Kapil Dev Agarwal in Muzaffarnagar on Feb 3, local leader Umesh Malik said, "Just as the sparks of the riots spread from Muzaffarnagar to the country...it made Narendra Modi the PM...This election is not just about the candidate, it is a question of your identity and honour."
The Congress candidate, Salman Saeed, too was booked for making hate speeches in 2013. But he claims the cases against him are motivated.
On Friday, 10 riot-accused were acquitted by a local court for lack of evidence, raising questions on the quality of investigation conducted by the police under the Samajwadi Party regime.
In Saharanpur, the BJP candidate Rampal Pundir, a former member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS also allegedly made inflammatory statements during the campaign. His party though refutes the allegations of running a communal campaign.
BJP lawmaker and Minister of State for Agriculture, Sanjeev Balyan said, "We have not said anything communal in the campaign but what happened in Muzaffarnagar started because of a law and order problem." He blames the ruling SP.
"The state has not been able to handle law and order and in all cases, there is involvement of SP workers or leaders," he alleged.
Other parties blame the BJP. Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Choudhary said, "They (BJP) are up to their old, dirty tricks. They don't care about disruption to the local economy, they don't care about delicate balance being destroyed or the social fabric being destroyed... they just want to win three more."
SP held the three seats that are going to the polls. The results will not affect the equations in the assembly but with the state elections in the state one year away, no party wants to lose this round.