Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday demanded the immediate resignation of Minister of State in the NDA government Ram Shankar Katheria for his alleged inflammatory remarks against Muslims at a condolence meet of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad worker in Agra.
In the meet held on Sunday, VHP and BJP leaders, including party MPs and MLAs, allegedly made violent references to Muslims and urged Hindus to prepare for a final battle in 2017.
Uttar Pradesh goes to the polls next year and the remarks made at the condolence meet of the slain Dalit VHP activist Arun Mahaur, were evocative of BJP chief Amit Shah’s call for “badla” in riot-torn western UP during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Alleging that the BJP and VHP were trying to flare up “communal mania and violence” in the name of protecting cows, Ms. Mayawati condemned the “inflammatory” speeches against Muslims, saying they were an “insult” to the minority community. The former UP chief minister accused the BJP of trying to “incite riots” in Agra for political gains. She also hit out at the Samajwadi Party government for failing to register an FIR against those involved in the alleged inflammatory speeches. Under fear and pressure of BJP, the ruling SP is not taking any legal action against the unruly elements, she said alleging a "tacit understanding" between the parties. “Not just Agra, BJP is trying to create a poisonous atmosphere in other parts of UP as well,” Ms. Mayawati said.
The BJP-VHP have projected Mahaur, who was a Koli businessman, as a gau rakshak and claimed he was murdered due to his work in protecting cows. Mahaul was shot dead in Agra on Thursday by unknown assailants. Police arrested five accused on charges of murder and rioting even as it takes preventive measures to check any communal flare up. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to Mahaur's family.
However, the VHP has demanded that Mahaur's family receive Rs 50 lakh, a flat and a job and threatened to "fight for justice" if the demands are not met.
