<p class="title">BSP chief Mayawati on Monday alleged that a "wrong practice" of forcing people to chant religious slogans has begun in Uttar Pradesh and a few other states, while seeking tough action against it from the Centre and state governments.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Mayawati's remarks came after a cleric claimed that he was forced to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"In some states, including Uttar Pradesh, a wrong practice of forcing people to chant religious slogans and committing atrocities has begun, and it should be condemned," she tweeted.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In her post on the micro-blogging site in Hindi, she also said, "There is a need for the Centre and state governments to take tough actions against it so that brotherhood and harmony is maintained everywhere and development is not affected."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Citing a complaint lodged by the cleric, SP Shailesh Kumar Pandey said Imam Imlaq-ur-Rehman, a Muzaffarnagar resident, was going to his village on his motorcycle on Saturday, when nearly 12 youngsters accosted him, beat him up and also pulled his beard.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The UP Police has booked nearly 12 youths in the matter, the SP added.</p>
<p class="title">BSP chief Mayawati on Monday alleged that a "wrong practice" of forcing people to chant religious slogans has begun in Uttar Pradesh and a few other states, while seeking tough action against it from the Centre and state governments.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Mayawati's remarks came after a cleric claimed that he was forced to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"In some states, including Uttar Pradesh, a wrong practice of forcing people to chant religious slogans and committing atrocities has begun, and it should be condemned," she tweeted.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In her post on the micro-blogging site in Hindi, she also said, "There is a need for the Centre and state governments to take tough actions against it so that brotherhood and harmony is maintained everywhere and development is not affected."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Citing a complaint lodged by the cleric, SP Shailesh Kumar Pandey said Imam Imlaq-ur-Rehman, a Muzaffarnagar resident, was going to his village on his motorcycle on Saturday, when nearly 12 youngsters accosted him, beat him up and also pulled his beard.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The UP Police has booked nearly 12 youths in the matter, the SP added.</p>