In a remark that is likely to trigger a controversy, riot accused BJP Lok Sabha nominee from Kairana seat, neighbouring constituency of Muzaffarnagar, said on Thursday said he would not allow the displaced riot victims to exercise their franchise in his constituency.
Hukum Singh said that since the displaced had been living on illegally occupied lands, they cannot be allowed to enroll in the voter's list in his constituency. He said these people have already registered themselves in the voter’s list in their native villages. “Their names still exist in the voter’s list in their villages,” Singh, who is currently an MLA from Kairana Assembly seat, claimed.
Though most of the relief camps have been dismantled, thousands of displaced victims are still living in tents in these camps in Muzaffarnagar district. Many victims recently declared that they would boycott the forthcoming polls in protest against the alleged failure of the government to provide them security and rehabilitate them.
Several families have chosen not to get themselves enrolled in the voter’s list from their present place of residence as they want to boycott the election. Besides, a large number of victims have also changed their Assembly constituencies as they feared that they would not be able to exercise their franchise from their native villages. According to reports, over 2,000 people have so far changed their Assembly constituencies and got themselves enrolled at places where they felt secure. Muzaffarnagar and Shamili districts witnessed large scale communal violence last year in which 62 people were killed and hundreds injured. Over 45,000 people had to leave their homes and take shelter in relief camps.
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