The fact-finding team of the BJP that visited kairana to explore thge truth behind alleged exodus of people said that the ground reality was 'critical' and 'more horrifying' than presented by party MP Hukum Singh.
Speaking to the 'The Pioneer on conditions of anonymity', team members agreed that the exodus was not because of communal tension or persecution by Muslims but because of alleged extortion by gangs of criminals.
"The exodus is because of nexus between the police and the criminals while the ruling Samajwadi party leaders have patronized the criminals," a member of the team said over telephone.
The BJP delegation spoke to over 40 people on one-to-one basis and met over 150 people at a dharmshala in Kandhla. Majority of the people opined that the criminals have been calling the shots in the area while the local police acted like a puppet at the hands of the ruling party leaders.
The leaders have prepared a list wherein a prominent doctor of Kairana shifted base to Surat because he was asked to pay a huge protection money. Besides, a cinema theatre owner of the region shifted his business to Kota.
"Many people are in the line to shift their base. They have put up their houses and shops for sale. Once they get a good amount for their properties, they will shift base," a BJP leader said.
Another member of the fact finding team said: "Can you believe that this area does not have a petrol pump IJ The lone petrol pump was closed two years back because the high and the mighty of the area used to get tanks of their cars filled and drive away without paying money."
When the members were talking to a family, the head of that family got a call from jail asking him not to open his mouth. "People are scared.
They are not ready to speak. They fear if they speak out against criminals, they would be snuffed out. Women and girls do not venture out in the evening because of the criminal gangs operating in the area," a BJP leader said.
A nine-member BJP team led by the party's legislature Party leader Suresh Khanna toured four villages of Kairana and Kandhla and the adjoining urban areas. The other members of the team were Chief whip in the Assembly Dr Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, BJP MPs Satypal Singh, Raghav lakhanpal, Dr Bhola Singh, Satish Gautam, Dharamendra Kashyap and former UP DGP Brij lal.
The team assembled at the farm house of Hukum Singh and later left for areas like Reiwala, Panipat Road, Teachers Colony, Akbarpur Sunaheti and Main Bazar to speak to people.
The team was accompanied by BJP MlA Suresh Rana and senior leader Sudhir Agarwal.
BJP leader and lok Sabha MP from Kairana, Hukum Singh, who raised the issue, had said that the exodus of people from Kairana and other places in Shamli district of UP should not be given communal colour as some Muslim families too have left the area.