The riots in Bareilly are causing major concerns. The procession of Muslims on March 2 to mark Barawafat turned violent as soon it was stopped from violating the assigned routes. Soon curfew was imposed which continued for more than two weeks, one of the longest in recent past. The riots have resulted in hundreds of shops gutted and scores injured with rising tension in the region. After the incident, Maulana Tauqir Raza Khan, the national president of the powerful Muslim organization Itihad-e-Millat Council (IMC) was arrested from IMC office by police on March 8 in connection with the rioting. Many sections of the IPC such as inciting people and plotting riots were slapped on him. According to reports in the local media, Khan had been booked in the past too under various sections of the IPC, including anti-national activities, but this could not be confirmed. A large crowd gathered demanding release of Tauqir Raza Khan and went berserk leading to riots, loot and arson.
The UP government bowing to the demands of the Muslim leaders and released Tauqir Raza Khan and also changed the local administration top brass, including the district magistrate, the DIG and the SSP. While the festival of Holi was an instant casualities which could not be celebrated due to riots, permission for a high-profile Ram Barat, which had been taken out across city's main streets as a precursor to Ram Navmi celebrations for past 149 years, was cancelled in view of the prevailing conditions.
The manner in which the govt. has acted in the case of Bareilly riots is just opposite of the way it reacted on the issue of Varun Gandhi's reported speech during the last Lok Sabha elections. While Varun Gandhi was booked under the stringent provisions of National Security Act (NSA) for making speeches, Tauqir Raza Khan was released as soon Muslim pressure mounted on the government and he was never booked under NSA. Even the officials were transferred for having arrested the controversial Maulana. The administration under the current dispensation in UP seems to be favouring more the disruptive forces while acting only to gain political mileage.
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