Riot as political opportunity for candidates

From The Statesman

Kajari Bhattacharya
BAJARDIHA (Varanasi), March 19: This riot was not as bloody as others have been in this Muslim-dominated area on the outskirts of the temple town of Varanasi. But fear is the key as the election looms ahead. And the various candidates in the fray vying to represent Varanasi in the 15th Lok Sabha have smelt a political opportunity.
Two residents lost their lives and many others were injured after a splash of Holi colours on a masjid triggered clashes between two communities on 11 March. But it wasn’t the clashes that killed 22-year-old Mohammad Moin Akhtar, resident of Galla Bajardiha, and 19-year-old Khalikujjama, resident of Rajanagar Murgipatola. It was police firing. Residents allege the firing was unprovoked and not preceded by a lathicharge or teargas. "We hadn’t seen 'terrorists' until that day when we saw them in police garb..." said Mr Wakil Ahmed, a shopkeeper in Bajardiha market. "We are afraid that the violence might have been instigated by political parties, as it’s time for the election. But we are so scared that we can hardly sleep at night, or eat anything, let alone think of the election," said Mursalin Designer, a young weaver in Bajardiha. Not surprisingly, Lok Sabha candidates for the forthcoming election have descended upon the locality bearing money, sympathy and medical help.
Sitting MP for Varanasi, Congress candidate Mr Rajesh Misra, was first off the block. "When Mr Misra came to reason with police to stop firing, they held him by the collar and roughed him up. I saw this with my own eyes. Even in his presence, police fired around six rounds at fleeing residents,” said Mr Ahmed, who claims he was beaten up by police when he accompanied the MP. But it isn’t only to express solidarity with the victims of the riots that Mr Misra visited Bajardiha. According to the EC, which charged him with violating the Model Code of Conduct, Mr Misra didn’t stop at commiserating with the residents; he distributed money among them.
Asked about the incriminating photographs that show him dealing out crisp currency notes, Mr Misra countered: "I don’t know how this happened... It must be some trickery of the camera. This is a conspiracy of the mafia dons and criminals who are contesting against me."
Talking of mafia dons, Mukhtar Ansari, BSP candidate, could not, unfortunately for him, come down to Bajardiha from Ghazipur Jail where he is lodged in connection with the murder of BJP leader Krishnananda Rai. No matter. His brother, Mr Sibgatullah Ansari, the MLA for Mohammadabad, who is managing the campaign for his jailed brother, did the needful when he visited the riot-hit area armed with soothing words and displayed political clout. "He arranged for the treatment of the boys injured in the police firing after one of the hospital we took them to refused to help," said Kausar, another weaver from Bajardiha. "We basically got the victims to lodge FIRs against the accused. We have left the rest to the government," Mr Ansari told The Statesman.
FIRs have been filed against Mr Shamsher Singh, in-charge of the Bajardiha police outpost; Mr RB Singh, station house officer of Bhelupur police station; Mr Babu Lal, local leader; Mr Vijay Vishawakarma, BJP corporator; Mr Sanjay Nath Tiwari, station house officer of Sigra police station, and two others: Rajkumar and Mata Prasad under Sections 302, 307, 147,148, 149, 504, 506, 337, 295 of the Indian Penal Code.
Only BJP candidate and former Union minister Mr Murli Manohar Joshi did not visit Bajardiha. “It’s just as well. It was allegedly on the orders of BJP corporator Vishwakarma that police opened fire. It is unlikely that Mr Joshi would have got a rousing welcome from Bajardiha residents," said a local political observer.