UP DM stays tough on BJP leaders for 2013 riots

The Uttar Pradesh government's attempts to withdraw cases against the BJP leaders, who were accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots hit a roadblock when the district magistrate declined to withdraw the cases citing legal and administrative reasons.

According to sources here, district magistrate Rajiv Sharma in his report to the state government said that a majority of the cases in which senior BJP leaders, including former Union minister Sanjiv Baliyan, party MLA Sangeet Som, were accused, are currently pending in the court.

The state government had a few months ago sought a report from the district magistrate on withdrawal of what it termed "political cases" against the senior BJP leaders.

The government's decision was prompted by demands from powerful khap (community panchayat) leaders, especially those from the Jat community, to withdraw what they termed fake cases against the community members.

The khap leaders had a few months ago organised a mahapanchyat and threatened to launch an agitation if their demand was not met.

"While in some cases closure reports have been filed, some others are in the court," said a senior district official in Muzaffarnagar on Sunday.

BJP leaders here refused to comment on the report saying that they had no idea on what grounds the district magistrate had rejected the withdrawal.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Sunil Singh, however, welcomed the rejection saying that the BJP government tried to shield the riot accused and stood exposed today.