File pic of Union Minister Ajit Singh, detained on his way to Muzaffarnagar
Under attack for failing to stop the communal violence that killed 29 in Muzaffarnagar on the weekend, the Uttar Pradesh government has barred political parties from the violence-hit region and detained a senior politician on Monday.
Union minister Ajit Singh, the leader of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), was detained along with his son Jayant at Ghaziabad, from where they were heading to Muzaffarnagar.
A BJP delegation headed by senior party MP Ravi Shankar Prasad was also stopped, hours after a four-member Congress team was turned away.
"We want peace and amity, that is why we were going," said Mr Prasad. "We only wanted to meet the injured and restore confidence."
Barraged by political criticism, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, said: "Political parties should observe restraint. There will be no leniency towards those disturbing peace."
But Mr Yadav remained the target of political parties like RLD and BSP who demanded central rule.
"Lawlessness in UP has gone out of control, the Samajwadi Party government should be sacked without delay," said Mayawati, a former UP Chief Minister. She also blamed the violence on a BJP-Samajwadi Party conspiracy.
Four BJP legislators and a senior Congress leader have been booked for fanning the violence in a farmers' meet - or mahapanchayat - on Saturday.
The meeting was called to protest against last month's killing of three men who had tried to stop the harassment of a woman. Farmers returning from the meet were attacked.
The police say these politicians made incendiary speeches that provoked religious hate.
But the accused political leaders say they are being made scapegoats by the Samajwadi Party, which has failed to check the communal clashes.