Dist magistrate faces action for FB post on UP violence

LUCKNOW/AGRA: Theuttarpradesh government said on Tuesday it could take action against Bareilly district magistrate Raghvendra Vikram Singh for a Facebook post thatquestionedthe“newtrend”of holding tiranga yatras in Muslimdominated areas, even as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) announceditwouldgoaheadwith many more such rallies across tense western Uttar Pradesh.

One person, Chandan Gupta, was shot dead as tensions flared during a tiranga yatra (tricolour rally) in Kasganj on Republic Day, leading to sporadic incidents of violence in which shops and vehicles were burnt.

“Anarchy and corruption will not be tolerated. The UP government, including its ministers and other public representatives, are on a mission to provide benefits of development and security to all people of the state, without any discrimination, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday, in his first statement since the January 26 incident. “The corrupt and those spreading anarchy will not be spared,” he added.

The state’s principal secretary (home), Arvind Kumar said the decision to grant permission for the yatras had been left to the administrators of individual districts.

“If any untoward incident takes place in any district, the district administration officers will be held responsible,” he said.