BJP, Cong demand judicial probe into Lucknow communal flare up

Lucknow, Mar 10 (UNI) The Opposition BJP and ruling Samajwadi Party ally Congress today demanded a judicial probe into last Friday's communal flare up in the state capital.

The demand, however, was rejected by the government.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour of the state legislative assembly, BJP's Suresh Srivastava said the flare up assumed dangerous proportions as the local police failed to take charge of the situation. ''The DM and the SSP of Lucknow literally fled the area...the previous DM Aradhna Shukla had put up a brave front to control a similar situation when Shias and Sunnis had clashed last year,'' he said.

The BJP MLA also demanded a judicial probe into the incident by a sitting High Court judge and said the government should increase the compensation to Rs 10 lakh to the kin of those killed in the violence.

Vidyasagar Gupta (BJP) blamed the statement of state Haj minister Haji Yakub Qureshi announcing a bounty of 51 crore for the Dansih cartoonists who had lampooned Prophet Mohammed, for the flare up.

Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari too demanded a judicial probe and blamed BJP leaders for making provocative speeches after the flare up. He also alleged a conspiracy to polarise votes on communal grounds.

This led to a verbal duel between BJP and Congress. BJP MLAs, while denying the speeches, said they would resign if the allegations made by Congress were found to be true.

Meanwhile, senior SP leader and state Parliamentary Affairs minister Md Azam Khan rejected the demand for a judicial probe. He said the statement of the Haj minister was only a 'sentimental protest' against publication of the cartoons.

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