UP: Mayawati asks BJP to stop 'saffron appeasement'

The BJP government's policy of "saffron appeasement" was impacting law and order in the state, BSP president Mayawati said today while demanding stern action against those behind the caste clashes in Saharanpur yesterday.

"Murder, violence and playing with law and order has become a common sight in the name of saffron appeasement of the BJP government which has also caused fear and terror among the people," Mayawati said in a party release a day after the Saharanpur violence in which one person was killed and at least 15 injured.

Expressing concern over the incident, she asked the government to immediately work towards restoring peace and order. The people would lose their faith in the government machinery otherwise, she added.

The BSP chief asked the BJP government to shun saffron appeasement and do justice with the people of the state by following what they say.

"It has become a sort of fashion to set new traditions by taking out processions without permission and create violence ... the BJP government has totally failed to control such elements,' she said.

"After communal incidents, casteist clashes have rocked the state and this proves that better law and order and crime control is not something that BJP can manage," Mayawati said.

The Saharanpur clashes, that saw brickbats and arson, broke out following a dispute over loud music being played during a procession being taken out by 20-25 youths belonging to the upper caste Thakur community who were going to take part in a function to garland a statue of Rajput warrior king Maharana Pratap. Dalit locals objected to the loud music in the procession that was going from Shabbirpur village to Simlana village.

-PTI