Pakistan supporters have come to Kasganj, only respect Pakistani flag: BJP MP

KASGANJ: Even as the situation in Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh continues to remain volatile in the wake of communal clashes, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vinay Katiyar on Tuesday said that supporters of Pakistan had come to Kasganj. 

"Pakistan supporters have come to Kasganj. They only respect the Pakistani flag and were raising slogans of 'Pakistan zindabad'. These people have killed one of our workers, These people should be dealt with strictly," Katiyar said.

The BJP leader also said that this is a first such incident to have taken place after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath came to power.

"Nothing like this had happened in the state under Yogi Adityanath's government, this is a first such incident which has taken place," Katiyar stated.

"Kasganj incident is extremely unfortunate. Previously, there have been no communal clashes in the district as every community lives in harmony. But some miscreants have come to light who support Pakistan and will go to any extent to defy the tricolour," he added.

Earlier on Monday, a Muslim shopkeeper's store was burnt down in the communal violence-hit Kasganj.

The shop owner said even though he was the only Muslim shopkeeper in the area, he never had issues with anyone.

"I have been living and working here for the past 20 years. Even though I am the only Muslim among a Hindu majority, we never had any problems," he added.

The police have begun its investigation into the matter.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Upadhyay - whose death aggravated the rampant violence across Kasganj district - came out in the open to prove that he is alive. "One of my friends informed me of rumours on social media about me getting killed during Kasganj clashes. But I was not present in Kasganj at the time when the riots took place. I had gone to my village. I am absolutely fine," Rahul said.

Rumours had been doing the rounds that Rahul had been killed along with another person named Chandan Gupta, in the clashes which broke out in Kasganj on Republic Day.

One person had died and two others were injured after a clash broke out between two communities during a 'Tiranga Yatra' in the district on Republic Day. Both the groups reportedly pelted stones and also fired bullets at each other.

Concerned over the situation, Governor Ram Naik had termed the communal clashes as a "blot" on the state and asked the state authorities to initiate measures to ensure such incidents did not recur.

At least three shops, two buses and a car were torched after Gupta was killed in clashes following stone- pelting by a mob on a motorcycle rally taken out to celebrate Republic Day.

Volunteers of organisations like the Vishva Hindu Parishad, Hindu Mahasabha and ABVP had taken out the rally - 'Tiranga Yatra'. After passing through the Kotwali area, they were about to pass through a Muslim dominated area when some people objected to its passage.

This resulted in a heated exchange of words and eventually escalated to firing in which Gupta lost his life.