The Uttar Pradesh government has taken a serious view of  a  Facebook post by a senior IAS officer in which he appeared to have hinted that saffron outfits had been inciting communal tension in the state.

Raghavendra Vikram Singh, the district magistrate of Bareilly  - about 250km from here  -  had slammed attempts, apparently by saffron outfits, to take out processions without permission in Muslim-dominated areas and shout "anti-Pakistan" slogans.  

"It has become a fashion... take out forced processions in Muslim-dominated areas... shout anti-Pakistan slogans... are they (Muslims) Pakistanis?... the same thing had happened in Bareilly... there was stone-pelting and FIRs were lodged," Singh had said in his post.

After criticism by BJP leaders, Singh deleted the post and tendered an apology. He said that his post pertained to the law and order problem in Bareilly.

"Muslims are our brothers... we have not been able to take them along... it is our responsibility to maintain communal amity," Singh said.

Uttar Pradesh  Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Tuesday said the state government had taken note of the post and would take appropriate action.

"This is like a  statement  by  a  political party spokesperson and cannot be tolerated," Maurya said.