BJP leaders on way to Gorakhpur, held

Lucknow, Jan 30 (UNI) Top Uttar Pradesh BJP leaders on way to Gorakhpur, which is witnessing communal flareup, were taken into custody by police this morning.

Official sources said here, BJP state unit president Kesharinath Tripathi was arrested at Soraon soon after he left Allahabad for the riot-torn Gorakhpur. Efforts were on to take him to a government guest house.

Similarly, BJP legislature party leader and Leader of the Opposition in the state legislative assembly Lalji Tandon was taken into custody at Barabanki near the state capital.

The BJP had yesterday announced to send the two leaders to Gorakhpur to take stock of the situation.

The BJP has charged the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh with orchestrating communal flare up in Gorakhpur to further its political interests ahead of the assembly polls.

Mr Tandon alleged the communal tension in the eastern district was organised by the ruling party to polarise the Muslim votes ahead of the elections.

''The riots have been organised to ensure that Muslims vote en masse in favour of SP candidates in the assembly election...the police has been deliberately arresting members of the majority community in a bid to appease Muslims,'' he claimed.

Police said since four police station areas in Gorakhpur were under curfew, it was not advisable for the BJP leaders to visit the city.

Miscreants had opened fire at a 'baraat' procession on Friday night, in which over 24 people were wounded in Ismailpur under Kotwali police station area at Gorakhpur.

Some people, trying to escape the shootout, entered a Moharram procession nearby, leading to a clash between the two groups. The situation turned tense after a wounded Raj Kumar Agrahari died at Gorakhpur Medical College.

Later, BJP MP Yogi Adityanath was arrested for violating prohibitory orders followed by some violence by his supporters in Gorakhnath area to protest his arrest. Soon after, curfew was clamped on the Gorakhnath area too.

The state government last evening suspended DM and SSP of Gorakhpur for their alleged laxity to contain the violence in which two people have died so far and five others hurt.

UNI