LUCKNOW: While an FIR was registered at Kotwali police station against 10 named and 150 unidentified persons for allegedly entering and vandalising a historical tomb on Eidgah premises in Fatehpur on Monday the UP assembly witnessed a din over the issue on Tuesday. Arrests are yet to be made in the case.
The opposition MLAs created furore, accusing the state government of having an alleged role in the unrest. However, responding to queries from the opposition in the Assembly, Uttar Pradesh Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna dismissed claims of government involvement as baseless, asserting that law and order was the top priority of the dispensation and those taking the law into their hands would face strictest action.
Answering a question by Leader of the Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey in Assembly, the UP Finance Minister denied any role of the government or its machinery in the Fatehpur incident. He informed the house that an FIR was lodged on August 11 at Kotwali police station against 10 named and 150 unidentified accused under pertinent sections, including 190, 191(2), 191(3), 301, 196 of BNS, the Criminal Law Amendment Act-7, and Sections 2 and 3 of the Public Property Damage Prevention Act.
Khanna claimed that the government was treating the matter with utmost seriousness and no accused would be spared. "Maintaining law and order is the government's top priority, and no anarchy will be tolerated," said the minister while accusing the opposition of politicising the incident. He noted that the police acted promptly and initiated legal proceedings without delay. The minister made it clear that the government was not under the influence of the troublemakers at all.
In the wake of the sensitive issue, the district administration deployed forces from 10 police stations, two PAC companies, and the full administrative team in the area. Moreover, the district administration is facilitating a dialogue between both the communities with the resolve to initiate strict action against culprits once normalcy is restored, said the police authorities.
