JOIN USLynching: Residents say police one-sided
Residents of Bisara village in Greater Noida on Saturday vented ire on visiting politicians and mediapersons, while accusing the police of taking one-sided action in the lynching case.
Mohammad Akhlaq’s family was attacked by a mob on Monday night after rumours spread that they had consumed beef. Akhlaq was killed while his younger son was critically injured.
Police here said a large number of residents, comprising mainly women, took to the streets protesting against what they called “falsely implicating innocent” youths of the village in the lynching case.
Kejriwal, media targeted
They also resorted to heavy stone-pelting at the convoy of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, stopping it from entering the village. Sources said Kejriwal was allowed to enter the village only after he met the protesters and gave assurance that he would take up their cause with the administration.
The crowd also targeted mediapersons alleging they were only airing news of one party while turning a blind eye to another. The protesting women and children damaged several vehicles. The journalists had to take cover and leave the village.
Hundreds of women also blocked entry point by squatting on the roads. The situation threatened to go out of control and was defused only after senior district officials intervened and assured them that no innocent youth would be arrested. The police also met the village panchayat chief.
Meanwhile, UP Principal Secretary, Home, Devashish Panda on Saturday said innocent people would not be implicated in the matter. “We will take stern action against those, who are responsible for the lynching,” he said.
‘Who gained from it?’
Kejriwal lashed out at political parties for “spreading poison” between Hindus and Muslims for vote-bank politics. “One political party is trying to consolidate the Hindu vote bank while another is trying to make the Muslims their votebank by spreading poison between the two communities. It is wrong,” Kejriwal said.
He also asked why AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and Union Minister Mahesh Sharma were not stopped on Friday from visiting the family. “Who benefited from it? neither Hindus nor Muslims. Only political parties and politicians are benefiting,” he said.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also visited Bisara and met the family. “In Dadri to meet Mohammad Akhlaq’s family,” he tweeted after meeting them.
District Magistrate N P Singh said on Friday said the victim’s son Sartaj said in writing that the family did not want to meet anyone.