Now, Hukum releases list of ‘Hindu exodus’ from Kandhala

MEERUT: BJP parliamentarian Hukum Singh, who had alleged an exodus of Hindus from Kairana in western Uttar Pradesh, released on Tuesday a list of 63 families that

MEERUT: BJP parliamentarian Hukum Singh, who had alleged an exodus of Hindus from Kairana in western Uttar Pradesh, released on Tuesday a list of 63 families that have apparently migrated out of neighbouring Kandhala town.

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He alleged that these Hindu families of Kandhala, located 12km from Kairana in Shamli district, have moved out in the past three years because of fear “from growing population of Muslims”.

“These Hindu families have left under duress,” he alleged. “There were more than 100 families but I released a list of only those who contacted me and narrated their reason for migration.” Police verified Singh’s new list and found that it contains nine farmers, five artisans, 18 shopkeepers, 19 smalltime traders, six labourers, two doctors, an engineer and a contractor each, and three “others”.

The parliamentarian for Kairana alleged that not a single town in western UP is safe, including the Muslim-majority K and hal a.

Singh’s remarks were viewed as an attempt to ratchet up the issue of alleged Hindu migration from western UP before next year’s assembly election, which was a talking point at the BJP’s two-day national executive meeting in Allahabad. Top BJP leaders used the issue to accuse the state’s Samajwadi Party government of promoting lawlessness.

“The migration in Kairana because of violence is a matter of concern. There is an atmosphere of violence. The lack of development and governance in UP is becoming a matter of serious concern,” party president Am it Shah told delegates at the meeting on Sunday. Singh also declared that another list of Hindu families that have fled other towns would be released soon.