At a time when clerics and Muslim organisations have launched an unrelenting attack on Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav over the Muzaffarnagar riots, a senior Samajwadi Party leader and party’s Maharashtra unit president, Abu Asim Azmi, has cast aspersions on UP’s Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), saying its jawans tortured members of the minority community but the State Government did nothing to protect them.
“The Muslim community is really upset with the Government over the laxity of its officials in preventing violence and the torture they were subjected to,” Azmi told reporters here on Thursday.The SP leader from Maharashtra also questioned the role of PAC during the Muzaffarnagar violence.
“I have come to know through informed sources that the PAC played a mischievous role as most of its constables removed their nameplates from their uniform and tortured the members of the minority community,” he said, and added: “I will talk to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav over the PAC issue.”
Azmi said Muslims were very upset and this had forced clerics to demand a CBI probe into the Muzaffarnagar riots. He, however, said the Samajwadi Party would win the confidence of Muslims before the lok Sabha elections and the minority community would once again support the party in the coming Parliamentary elections.
Holding officials responsible for the Muzaffarnagar violence, Azmi said that they should be made accountable for the killing of such a large number of people. “Strict action should be taken against them,” he added.