42,000 people displaced by riots, UP govt tells apex court

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday told the Supreme Court that about 42,000 people have fled the Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts following the riots, even with provision for shelter in relief camps.

The union government also informed the apex court that 78 companies of the Centre Armed Police Forces have been deployed in the disturbed areas. Taking note of the prime minister and the chief minister visiting the riot-affected areas in Muzaffarnagar, a bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Ranjana P Desai said that the court may not need to get involved in such issues if all authorities have performed their duties well.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted that efforts were being made to provide relief to the affected families including shelter, food and medicines.

In an affidavit, the Centre said that as per the state government’s reply, 44 people were killed and 97 injured in violence-ridden areas and that 2,462 people have so far been arrested.

The state government, as well as the Centre, filed their affidavit in response to the PILs filed by a group of affected Muslims and the Supreme Court Bar Association, urging the court to ensure protection for people in the area.

The apex court had on September 12 asked the Centre and Uttar Pradesh to spell out the measures undertaken to ensure immediate medical help to the injured in the Muzaffarnagar violence.  The court also sought to know the steps being taken by both the government for providing food, shelter and other basic amenities to those stranded.