UP assembly witnesses charged atmosphere over MLA son's killing

Lucknow, May 12 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly today witnessed a charged atmosphere over the killing of a BJP MLA's son during the Aligarh communal flare-up and his burial as a Muslim by the police.

The principal Opposition BJP raised the issue under Rule 56 seeking an adjournment.

While it demanded a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge, the Congress and BSP demanded a CBI probe into the incident. The Congress later staged a walkout over the issue.

Sasni (Hathras district) MLA Devkinand Kori's son Trilokinath alias Vikki was found dead with bullet wounds. While an 'Om' sign was tatooed on his left arm, police buried him. A couple of days later, his body was exhumed and handed over to his family members.

The BJP MLA had alleged that IG (Kanpur Zone) Rizwan Ahmed had also circumcised his son after his body was recovered. The BJP had then claimed the body was buried in a bid to ''earn'' the compensation anounced by the state government for riot victims.

Raising the issue on the floor of the house, Hukum Singh (BJP) charged state minister Khawaja Halim and IG Rizwan Ahmed with delibrately burying Trilokinath for financial gains.

But, senior SP leader and parliamentary affairs minister Md Azam Khan come to the two's defence and maintained they had nothing to do with the incident. He said a probe was on, but did not divulge the details.

Even as the matter was being discussed, Mr Kori himself started weeping in the house, creating a piquant situation for those present.

BJP members claimed a person Banna Khan had even claimed compensation for the body, but the police failed to take action against him. They alleged that in a bid to shield the guilty, the state government had made the local station officer a scapegoat by suspending him.

Aligarh MLA Vivek Bansal (Congresss), while demanding a CBI probe also insisted on Rs 10 lakh compensation to the victim's family.

The Congress Legislature Party later staged a walkout over the issue.

Charging the state government with bias, BJP state unit president and former assembly speaker Kesharinath Tripathi claimed the government paid Rs five lakh compensation to a member of the minority community, while a Hindu victim received only Rs two lakh.

He claimed since Mr Ahmed took over as IG (Zone), Kanpur had become a hotbed of ISI activities.

Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey said the matter was serious and he would talk to Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in this regard. Mr Yadav was not present in the house.

The Opposition also tried to the raise the issue of the ongoing spat between ministers Mohd Azam Khan and Haji Yakub Qureshi and the government's decision to appoint principal secretary-II in the assembly to clip the wings of the present incumbent. However, the Speaker turned down their demand.

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