Muzaffarnagar riot accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sangeet Som was on Friday detained near Moradabad by the Uttar Pradesh police while he was on his way to attend a mahapanchayat along with his party workers.
Som and other leaders detained by the UP police have been shifted to police lines.
Reports say that the UP administration had denied permission to the BJP to hold a mahapanchayat fearing that it could flare up communal tension in the area.
The BJP had decided to hold a mahapanchayat after the UP administration restricted the use of loud speakers at a religious place, which led to some trouble in the area in the month of June. The police had to resort to lathi charge and mild firing to disperse the crowds. In order to protest against the move, the BJP had called for a mahapanchayat today, where several party leaders were also expected to be present.
It appears that the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP government doesn’t want any repetition of incident like Muzaffarnagar riots and has put in place heavy police contingent in Moradabad.
Sangeet Som was earlier arrested in connection with Muzaffanaggr riots, Besides Sangeet Som, BJP MPs Satyapal Singh, Nepal Singh and some other leaders have also been detained by the police.
Som isn’t new to controversies. Besides being named in Muzaffarnagar riots case, last month he was caught on camera threatening police officers of creating unrest if they don’t take proper action in the Bhudhana double murder case.
Som had spent time in prison after he was booked under the stringent National Security Act over the Muzaffarnagar riots. He had allegedly circulated a fake video on social media that fuelled tension before the riots.
The communal violence, which had broken out on September 07, last year in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining towns, had claimed over 40 lives. It left 85 others injured and rendered 51,000 people homeless.
