SP accuses Jaiswal of politicising Gorakhpur riots

Lucknow, Feb 1 (UNI) The ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh today accused Congress and Union Minister Sri Prakash Jaiswal of politicising the Gorakhpur communal flare-up.

Talking to reporters here, state agriculture minister and senior SP leader Ashok Bajpai said by visiting Gorakhpur, Congress and Mr Jaiswal tried to gain political mileage.

''In politics, it is indecent to politicise sensitive issues like riots...he should not have visited the district,'' he said.

''While priority should be to ensure return of normalcy, Congress is playing vote bank politics ahead of the coming UP assembly election.'' Mr Jaiswal was today denied entry in the riot-torn district of Gorakhpur, even as he announced the Centre might take action if the sitution did not return to normal soon.

Talking to reporters in the state capital after his return from Gorakhpur, Mr Jaiswal informed when the district administration requested him not to visit the riot-hit areas, he accepted their plea. The district administration reasoned his visit to the curfew-bound areas could cause law and order problem.

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav criticised the Union Minister for breaching protocol by not informing his government about his plans to visit Gorakhpur. Mr Yadav was addressing a seminar at Ghazipur district.

Curfew, which was imposed in the eastern UP district after a communal flare-up, continued for the sixth day today, although no violent incident was reported in the last 24 hours.

UNI