Saharanpur violence is a 'conspiracy' to malign Yogi govt: BJP leader Shrikant Sharma

Lucknow: Hours after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi visited riot-hit Saharanpur despite being denied permission, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hit out at him, saying that Saharanpur incident is a conspiracy to defame Yogi government.

"Congress government has been a big flop during their regime. Our motive is to improve the facilities. Rahul Gandhi is a tragedy king. The citizens do not trust Rahul Gandhi and his company," BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Power Minister Shrikant Sharma said on Saturday afternoon.

Asserting that the Yogi-government is making efforts to improve the law and order in the state, Sharma further appealed to the politicians not to visit Saharanpur.

"Since the last 15 years, the law and order situation in the state has been disturbed. The process of changing this disturbance will take time which has already begun by the Yogi Government. Police department and government are working on the matter. We request the politicians to avoid visiting Saharanpur at such a critical point," he added.

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu also lashed out at the Congress vice-president for his attempt to visit Saharanpur while dubbing him as a 'photo opportunist'.

Naidu said, "Rahul Gandhi is a photo-opportunist, whenever there is a photo opportunity he always goes there."

Earlier on Saturday, Rahul reached the riot-hit area and interacted with locals.

However, the police did try to stop the Congress vice-president but the latter adamantly reached the clash-affected area to take stock of the situation.

Rahul, accompanied by senior Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad and Raj Babbar, also discussed the deteriorating situation prevailing in the state with the locals in the area.

After meeting the locals, Rahul engaged in an altercation with the police force where he questioned them as to on what grounds he was not allowed to enter Saharanpur.

The Congress vice president was on Friday denied permission to visit the clash-affected district where a caste conflict had erupted in which many Dalits were allegedly targeted.

The confirmation of this development was given by Additional Director General of Police Law and Order Aditya Mishra to sources.

"We have requested all political parties not to visit the state until the situation is brought back to normal in Saharanpur." Mishra said.

Clashes broke out earlier after Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati's visit to Saharanpur, where one person was killed and several others were injured.

The state government also announced to give compensation of Rs 15 lakh to relatives of the person, who was killed during this incident.

In the wake of clashes between two communities in Saharanpur, the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh Government transferred 174 Sub-Divisional Magistrates.

On May 5, one person was killed and 16 people, including a head constable, were injured in clashes between the Dalits and the Rajputs in Shabbirpur and Simlana villages.