Hearing a plea of one Lokesh Khurana, a two-judge bench of the High Court directed Director General of Police (DGP) Javeed Ahmad and state government to provide full security in the Kairana region so that registered voters can exercise their franchise.
Kairana will vote in the first of seven-phased elections in UP on February 11.
The direction was issued in response to a petition that alleged that the Samajwadi Party government led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s “appeasement policy” made Hindus the target of communal violence in areas they were a minority and ultimately compelled to leave Kairana under extrusion and Islamic pressure.
The “Kairana exodus” issue was raised last year by local MP Hukum Singh who alleged that Hindus were being forced out of the region by anti-social elements belonging to a particular religion.
The High Court has also sought state government’s response within six weeks on the plea that a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation be conducted on the alleged exodus from Kairana.
Stipulating charges on Uttar Pradesh Govt, Allahabad HC also directed to provide security of Kairana Hindus for avoiding further ‘exodus’ as alleged.
Kairana is one of the major polls issues of the BJP and also appears on its election manifesto. The party has promised to form a task force in western UP to prevent Kairana type of exodus.
Gorakhpur Lok Sabha MP Yogi Adityanath, one of the star campaigners of the BJP clearly stated at India TV’s Chunav Manch Conclave in Lucknow last week that Kairana “is a very big issue” for the saffron party.
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__Agencies.