Lucknow: An intelligence report on the Saharanpur caste clashes has stated that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is supporting Bhim Army, which is being accused of inciting the violence.
The 9-page report has been prepared by the UP Police and local intelligence and is currently with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The report mentions that BSP supremo Mayawati’s brother Anand was in touch with Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar through a third party.
The report also says that Mayawati sought permission to go to Saharanpur by helicopter. It gives details about the sequence of events over the days of clashes since last month.
The report, while talking about Anand being in contact with the Bhim Army leader, doesn’t elaborate much on what sort of contact it was. It also doesn’t talk about any financial or tactical help.
Police have put 25 phones on surveillance to trace Chandrashekhar and keep a tab on activities of the Bhim Army.
Police sources said in one of the surveillance tapes a Bhim Army volunteer is purportedly heard saying that Chandrasekhar has ordered them to identify a village with less Thakur population and eliminate them with the help of boys from outside the village.
On Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh government had transferred the Senior Superintendent of Police and District Magistrate of Saharanpur for failing to control the violence that rocked the area.
Sources said that all transfers and action were taken against officials, including SSP SC Dubey and DM NP Singh, have been over their inability to control violence in the wake of clashes between two communities in the area.
Mobile internet and messaging services were suspended in the violence-hit district on Wednesday night.
"In view of the present situation, CRPC section 144 has been invoked to control law and order. All telecom operators have been asked to suspend all forms of mobile internet and messaging services until further orders," N P Singh, outgoing district magistrate, said in an order.
Clashes between the upper caste Thakurs and Dalits were first reported from Shabbirpur village in April when Thakurs allegedly prevented them from installing a statue of BR Ambedkar inside the Ravidas temple in the village.
Things escalated on May 5 when a Dalit group allegedly objected to a procession of Thakurs to mark the birth anniversary of Rajput king Maharana Pratap. This triggered violence in which one person was killed and over 15 injured.
The area has been simmering with communal tension since then. Another round of violence was reported on Tuesday following a visit by BSP supremo Mayawati which claimed a youth's life.
Comments
0 comment