Exodus of people from Kairana is set to become a poll issue with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deciding to hold meetings in west UP highlighting how Hindus were forced to flee because of machination of criminals enjoying the patronage of ruling party leaders.
“Kairana is not a small or isolated issue. Please do not see it from the political angle. It has a massive social ramification. Realise how people were forced to flee from their hearth because of `rangdaari’ demanded by criminals. People were targeted because of their religion,” BJP MP from Kairana Hukum Singh told The Pioneer over telephone.
The MP stressed that Kairana was not an isolated case. “There are many Kairanas in west UP. Criminal elements enjoying political patronage are forcing traders to move out or face the music. Go to Bijnore, Meerut, Saharanpur Hapur and you will see many houses locked with a wall painting saying the house was up for sale,” he said.
“This will definitely be a poll issue. The BJP will go to people telling them that only we can protect them from criminal elements. The BJP will ensure that traders can carry out business without fear,” Singh said..
The BJP planned an agitation after NHRC’s independent probe confirmed exodus of Hindus from Kaiarna. It issued notices to Chief Secretary and DGP asking them to submit action taken report within eight weeks. In its report, the Commission said that the local police sided with criminals and turned a deaf ear to the pleas of victims.
The NHRC started the enquiry on a complaint of a Supreme Court lawyer Monika Arora which was carried out by a DIG rank officer. During inquiry, the NHRC team visited different places in Kairana town, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar and Panipat in Haryana.
Hukum Singh said that NHRC report has nothing to do with our agitation. “Only you can say that the Commission’s report has vindicated our stand. This SP government had given clean chit to the criminals. The party’s hand picked mean went around Kairana, met a handful few and said that whatever the BJP was saying was wrong,” he said.
“Once the NHRC has confirmed our fear, state Samajwadi Party president Shivpal Singh Yadav blamed the district police officials for the exodus of Hindus. He is on record saying that police officials have not done their duty,” Singh said.
The MP however did not elaborate as when the BJP would launch its campaign but said that a blue print was ready and it will be made public very soon.