Adityanath invokes Muzaffarnagar riots, Jinnah portrait ahead of Kairana poll

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, four days ahead of Kairana bypoll on Thursday invoked the issue of Muzaffarnagar riots and Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait in his speech in Shamli while supporting BJP’s candidate Mriganka Singh.

According to a report by The Indian Express, the UP CM three times in his speech, referring Muzaffarnagar riots between Jats and Muslims, named Jat youths Sachin and Gaurav. The duo was allegedly lynched in Muzaffarnagar’s village in 2013 after they accused Shahnawaz Qureshi of harassing their relative and allegedly killed him.

“Polarisation is already done. I know. On one side, there are people who flared up riots in Muzaffarnagar and western Uttar Pradesh. Youths like Sachin and Gaurav were brutally murdered and they along with others were implicated. Then no other party spoke out. Only BJP workers raised their voice,” Adityanath said.

The UP CM said that the riots had become an “industry” in western Uttar Pradesh and BJP government improved the situation there. Adiyanath further making an apparent reference to Jinnah’s portrait in Aligarh Muslim University and the issue of dues of sugarcane farmers in Kairana, said: “Koi keh raha ki ganna ya Jinnah. Main keh sakta hun ki ganna hamara mudda hai lekin Jinnah ki tasvir bhi nahi lagne denge hum log.” Adding that the sugar cane farmers from Kairana have been paid Rs 984.88 crore.