Rajnath denied permission to visit riot-hit Muzaffarnagar

Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh was on Saturday denied permission to visit riot-hit Muzaffarnagar even as he accused the Samajwadi Party government of selectively targeting his party leaders.

Singh will lead a party delegation to President Pranab Mukherjee to press for the Centre's intervention on the issue. He alleged that the Samajwadi Party spreads riots in Uttar Pradesh whenever it comes to power in the state and said a delegation would meet the President next week to give him an account of the prevailing situation in riot-hit areas.

"I wanted to meet the families of the victims and take stock of the situation. But the district administration denied me permission saying my visit is not possible in the present circumstances," Rajnath Sing told reporters at his official residence.

He said the recent sting operation carried by news channels has proved that those in power in UP had a role in violence.

"The SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party want to gain mileage out of the prevailing situation in UP in the Lok Sabha elections," he alleged.

He said he has set up a committee under BJP Legislature Party leader in UP Hukum Singh to prepare a report on the situation in riot-hit areas and the damage caused by the violence.

"We will hand over the report to the President when we meet him on September 24. BJP members of Legislative Assembly from UP will also be part of the delegation," he said.