While admitting that failure of police and a few others lapses lead to incessant violence in Muzaffarnagar district, Ashutosh Pandey, Inspector General (IG) of Meerut Zone on Saturday said that the police will start sanitization drive to chase away outsiders from the region. The IG said to restore peace and harmony here, there is a need to identify hooligans sheltering in villages here who have been creating nuisance.
He said that after identifying non-residents of the Shahpur, Fugana, Budhana and Bhora-Kalan villages, they will be removed and penal action will be taken against them. “Police will also identify the actual culprits indulging in frequent violence,” he said.
Meanwhile, no incident of communal clash was reported on Saturday but markets, schools and colleges remained closed in rural belts.
The IG, who took charge on Friday, said that the main reason of communal violence was lack of coordination between police and the locals. “The district police failed on several accounts which created panic among the people resulted in series of incidents. Police’s inaction and their negligence while tackling the violence created panic and later resulted in riots. Hundreds of people were booked under various sections while there was lack of evidence of their involvement in incidents,” he said.
He said even some of them, who have been living outside the district from long time has been named in the FIRs. “This kind of approach of police created furor among the residents who later held series of mahapanchayats rather than approaching police to address their problems.”
Our priority will be to remove names of such persons from the FIRs so we could create a positive environment among the locals and instill confidence among them," said Pandey.
It was also announced that the district police will also enhance checking in the area of Shahpur, Fugana, Budhana and Bhora-Kalan police stations by deploying more police force at all crossings, round-a Shahpur, Fugana, Budhana and Bhora-Kalan police stations by deploying more police force at all traffic junctions, crossings, roundabouts and crossings. This will help to restrict to movement of hoodlums who are running riot in the area. Police also said it will also initiate dialogue process with the help of local leaders and representatives of both communities.
Meanwhile, another mahapanchayat was organized in Rasoolpur-Jatan village in protest of attack over three doctors and a trader in Shahpur region. The panchayat decided that the community will intensify its agitation in future if the accused involved in fresh cases of attack are not be arrested in next 24 hours. The panchayat also pledged not resume their business till police stop favouring minority community. The Jat community also announced to organize a mahapanchayat in Shahpur Kasba on Monday to address their problems. "We are upset with local administration and have planned to solve all issues from ourselves. No body from government has approached us which is disappointing the community," said Ashok Baliyan, a representitive of Jat community.