LUCKNOW: Describing the Dadri lynching incident as a "well-planned conspiracy", the Uttar Pradesh government today blamed BJP with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav saying some forces doing politics on communal lines were conspiring to defame his government.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, on the other hand, termed the incident as "unfortunate" and appealed to the people to maintain communal harmony.
"The incident of Dadri lynching is a well-planned conspiracy of BJP for political gains. Despite much hue and cry, we did not stop anyone from visiting the village so that they could know the truth and ground reality," Cabinet Minister Shivpal Yadav told reporters here.
"We are keeping an eye on hate mongers. They have orchestrated riots in Muzaffarnagar and trying the same in other parts of the state. Stern directives have been given to district level officers. Now action will also be taken against them if they were found lax," said Yadav, who is the brother of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
The Chief Minister, while addressing a business event here, said, "Some forces are conspiring to spread communalism and we have to remain alert from them."
Alleging that these forces want to defame the state government, he said addressing representatives of Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSME) that "Today when the world is marching ahead on the path of progress, some forces doing politics on communal lines want to take the country and the state towards backwardness."
He said those "forces" are "raising issues and debateswhich harm all sections of the society."
The CM said that conspiracies of such forces need to be foiled to take the state ahead on the path of development.
He said that the people of the state have lived together with brotherhood and harmony since ages.
Akhilesh expressed confidence that peace-loving people of the state will not allow forces creating differences to succeed in their designs.
"We want to ensure communal harmony, and any attempt against it will be dealt with an iron hand," Shivpal Yadav said.
When asked why no one from the ruling Samajwadi Party visited the village, the senior party leader said, "This is to avoid allegations that SP is managing things there."
He noted that the family members of the victim met the Chief Minister and others in Lucknow and they were given all possible help including Rs 45 lakh, security and assistance in getting their new house. "We believe in action not playing politics on such sensitive issue," he said.
About opposition's claim of poor law and order in the state, the minister said, "It's baseless and politically motivated allegation. Not only investors but number of tourists visiting the state have also increased. Had there been problem in law and order, this would not have happened."
In Delhi, Rajnath Singh said, "It was an unfortunate incident. I appeal to every citizen to maintain communal harmony, which is everyone's responsibility."
He was responding to questions by reporters on the sidelines of a function.
The Union Home Minister's comments came on a day when UP government sent its report to his ministry on the Dadri incident in which 50-year-old Iqlakh was lynched by a mob following rumours that his family had consumed beef.