The Uttar Pradesh government’s inaction over the communal tension, which simmered for days as the Hindutva brigade fanned it, has drawn fire from all sides. Now, as a chunk of western Uttar Pradesh sits on a powder keg, the BSP and the RLD has called for President’s Rule in the state.
The trouble began on August 27 with the killing of three youths over an incident of harassment. But caught between politics and administration, the government failed to take any measure to quell it.
The youth responsible had been stabbed to death by the brothers of the girl, who, in turn, were lynched. But someone filmed the episode and the MMS went viral. Facebook and Twitter gave it momentum. Panchayats condemned the brutality and people were incited to teach the other community a lesson. On Sunday, Muslim clerics appealed for peace.