Mulayam Singh had reportedly warned Akhilesh that his administration's failure to prevent Muzaffarnagar violence could be politically damaging. (File pic)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said this morning that his government will show "no leniency towards those disturbing peace" in parts of western Uttar Pradesh, where 28 people have died since Saturday in communal clashes.
(Muzaffarnagar clashes: 4 BJP MLAs, Congress leader accused of inciting violence)The 40-year-old UP chief minister said officials have been ordered to ensure the safety of villagers in Muzaffarnagar and surrounding areas.
On Sunday, Mr Yadav was reportedly warned by his father and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh that his administration's failure to prevent the violence could be politically damaging.
At a meeting of top party leaders that he called at his Lucknow residence on Sunday, an angry Mulayam Singh reportedly told Akhilesh, "Incidents like this will not only hurt the party's prospects in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls but also tar your image as an administrator."
This morning, the state's Governor BL Joshi has submitted a report on the communal violence to the Centre. He has reportedly accused the chief minister of failing to preserve communal harmony.
(Muzaffarnagar violence: 90 arrested; swords, knives and guns found in villages)
The state police has now registered a first information report against 40 people, including four BJP legislators and a Congress leader, for inciting mobs in Muzaffarnagar.
Mr Yadav senior has been in Lucknow since Saturday evening and is monitoring the situation closely. IANS reported that it was at his behest that the Army's help was sought to contain the spread of violence, which had found inroads into the western UP countryside.
A Samajwadi Party leader said Mulayam Singh Yadav gave a dressing down to home department officials, most of whom he had personally hand-picked when the SP government took over last year.
He also spoke to religious heads in western UP and asked them to appeal for calm and talked on the phone to party leaders in western Uttar Pradesh for reports from the violence-hit areas.