In an embarrassment for the Uttar Pradesh government, Governor Ram Naik on Monday termed the Kasganj communal clash as a “blot” on the state and asked the government to initiate measures to ensure such incidents did not recur.
The governor noted that such an incident had occurred in the state for the first time in the last 9-10 months and described it as “shameful”.
District authorities in Kasganj, which witnessed clashes between two communities last week, said the situation was returning to normal even as four more persons were arrested in connection with the violence.
At least three shops, two buses and a car were torched after a youth was killed in clashes following stone-pelting by a mob on a motorcycle rally taken out to celebrate Republic Day.
“Whatever happened in Kasganj was not good. The incident there is a ‘kalank’ (blot) for UP. The government is probing the incident. It should initiate effective measures to ensure that such incidents are not repeated,” he told reporters.
The governor’s remarks came days after Vice President Venakiah Naidu advised the Yogi Adityanath government to improve the law and order in the state.
Kasganj District Magistrate RP Singh on Monday said, “The situation is normal now. A cheque of Rs 20 lakh has been given to family members of Chandan Gupta who died in the incident. His family has demanded martyr status be accorded to him and if they give their letter, it will be forwarded to the government.”
Explosives were found during house-to-house searches following which the state police chief said the stringent National Security Act (NSA) would be invoked against culprits.
The Yogi Adityanath-led government has stressed that the guilty would not be spared.
Meanwhile, Congress Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari has demanded a high-level probe by sitting high court judge into this matter.
“It’s certainly a failure of the state government. There should be a high-level probe by a sitting high court judge in this matter,” Tiwari said.
