The law and order issue rocked the state assembly on Monday when BSP and BJP members cornered state government over number of riots that rocked Uttar Pradesh since this Samajwadi Party Government came to power leading to adjournment of the House for 15 minutes.
Members of BSP and BJP entered the well of the House separately raising slogans against the Government seeking Government reply on rehabilitation of the Muzaffarnagar riot victims. Anugrah Narain Singh (Congress) raised the matter during Question Hour and asked as how many riots took place in state since 2009. Replying to the question Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Azam Khan said only four communal riots took place from April 2012 to February 14, 2014 in which 73 people were killed and 155 others were injured.
He said Government did its best to provide relief to the victims who have been displaced. This answer opened a Pandora’s box as Satish Mahana (BJP) said that earlier government had informed the House that 27 riots had taken place while now it is saying that just four riots had taken place. "It seems officials are taking Government for a ride. The Government should clarify as which figure is correct," Mahan asked.
leader of the Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya also asked the government to clearify its stand. The Government of India says 103 riots had taken place while IB says 115 communal skirmishes have taken place. "It is pathetic that even after several months people are living like refugees in the camps. The riots were orchestrated by Samajwadi Party to derive a political mileage out of it," he said.
Before Government could say anything he trooped into the well of the House alongwith other BSP members. They raised anti-government slogans. Amid that din Parliamentary affairs minister said that many of the BSP leaders were also involved in the riots and NSA was invoked against them. On the persuasion of Speaker BSP members returned to their seats. But Azam Khan’s allegation that BSP men were involved in Muzaffarnagar riots and NSA was also invoked against them incited BJP members.
"The Parliamentary affairs minister is saying that the Congress and BSP members were involved in the riot and Goernment had invoked NSA against them. We want to know who are the people against whom NSA is invoked and what action government has taken against them," BJP legislature party leader Hukum Singh said. The BJP now entered the Well of the House forcing Speaker to first adjourn the House fo 10 minutes and then extend it for 5 more minutes.