The abject failure of the Akhilesh Yadav government and the district administration in Uttar Pradesh came to the fore when in a rare move, the Army was on Saturday called to quell marauding rioters in Muzaffarnagar district where at least nine persons, including two journalists, were killed and 34 others injured in intense riots between two communities. An indefinite curfew has been imposed in the riot-hit areas.
IBN7 channel’s part-time correspondent Rajesh Verma and a photographer hired by police, Israr, were among those killed in the violence. Nine persons — two in Muzaffarnagar town, three each in Bhopa police station area and Shapur area and one in Sikhera police station area — were killed, said District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma.
Having realized that the situation had gone totally out of control, State authorities convened an emergency meeting in Lucknow and decided to call the Army to control the rioters who indulged in wanton violence.
The State administration failed to check the rioters who have been threatening to take to the streets for over a week. An unresolved eve-teasing incident has reportedly lead to the clashes between the two communities. The State has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 15 lakh to the kin of the TV journalist and Rs 10 lakh to the family of others who were killed in the clashes.
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