New Delhi: Terming the communal riots in Muzaffarnagar a “big tragedy” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with Congress president Sonia Gandhi reached Uttar Pradesh violence-hit Muzaffarnagar district on Monday. “Perpetrators of riots will be given strict punishment,” Dr. Singh said after visiting riot-affected Bassi Kalan in Muzaffarnagar. “Our priority and efforts would be that people displaced are sent back home.”Manmohan Singh asked the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure safety and rehabilitation of the people who were displaced.
A grim faced Manmohan Singh spoke to officials as he walked through Bassi Kalan village and later Tawli amid tight security. He told the people that he, along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, had come to them in solidarity in their hour of crisis. As many as 48 people were killed, over 100 injured and more than 43,000 rendered homeless in the communal clashes that singed the area since Sep 7. The army was called in to contain the situation. The prime minister told reporters that he expected the security scenario to improve in the area so that the displaced people can return home.
Uttar Pradesh Governor B.L. Joshi and UP Health Minister Ahmed Hasan were present during the prime minister’s visit. People who met the prime minister and other leaders complained that the district administration and the state government did not extend to them the kind of support that should have been there.
Bureau Report
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