Arrest killers in Muzaffarnagar, says CPI-M

New Delhi, Sept 15: The CPI-M on Sunday demanded the immediate arrests of all those charged with inciting communal violence in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.

It also sought proper relief measures from the state government for those affected by the violence besides compensation to those killed and injured "promptly and without any discrimination".

The Communist Party of India-Marxist urged the administration to restore peace so that the thousands who fled their homes following the three days of violence start leaving the makeshift refugee camps.

The CPI-M statement followed a visit Saturday of a party delegation to Muzaffarnagar when its members met a large number of Hindus and Muslims.

The party said sexual harassment of young school and college going girls -- widely seen as a trigger for the Muzaffarnagar trouble -- was seen as a major problem and that the guilty belonged to both communities.

"Unfortunately, this problem is being exploited by the Hindutva forces who are demonizing the minority community as being responsible for this crime and alleging that girls belonging to the majority community are the victims.

"This is not only untrue but also reveals the fact that for them it is not the issue or the exploitation of women that is the issue to be resolved but it is an inflammatory issue when it is utilised for communal polarization," it said.

The CPI-M delegation blamed the administration for not acting promptly once the trouble started in Muzaffarnagar.

The CPI-M delegation blamed the administration for not acting promptly.

"Our visit confirmed that while there have been casualties among both communities, it is the minority community that has suffered immeasurable more in terms of loss of lives, homes, property and livestock.

"Our visit to the district hospital and conversations in the camps confirmed the brutality of the killings.

"Bodies of young children that had been brutalized and burned were brought to the hospital; a woman's body, cut in pieces, was also brought.

"It became very evident that government and administrative failure are responsible for the terrible loss of life and property."

The Muzaffarnagar violence claimed 47 lives and injured scores, forcing the government to deploy the army. Night curfew is still on in Muzaffarnagar.

IANS