The shameful act at Dadri was engineered by communal forces that want to exploit the situation for Mission 2017 assembly polls through polarization of votes.

Since Muzaffarnagar riots had paid rich dividends in Lok Sabha polls, in the entire western UP the same situation is being created for Mission 2017 when Assembly polls are due. This issue will also have impact on the ongoing Panchayat polls in in the state.

The timing of incident is such that political parties are already making it a big issue for Bihar Assembly polls too. They are already debating on cow meat and people’s preference to eat it nor not.

The Akhilesh Yadav government has once again failed to prevent an incident like that of Dadri beef murder, with shades of incitement and rage similar to Muzaffarnagar riots of September 2013.

The political pundits are arguing that Akhilesh Yadav could have prevented Dadri type incidents if it had better intelligence reports on the activists of the Hindu communal organisation active in state in general and western UP in particular.

During Muzaffarnagar riots too, the administration was very callous which allowed the situation to worsen. Had local administration taken action when smaller incidents occurred, the big scale riots would have been avoided.

Similarly, the local administration should have taken action on the reports that communal organizations were active in the state in general and western UP in particular. According to reports, several organizations have come up during last few years in western part of state and they are busy in spreading communal hatred on one issue or the other.

The Akhilesh Yadav government should have realized the gravity of the situation when more than 100 small level communal riots have already taken place in the state during last few months.

The situation is so tense that small incidents are also getting communal colour by those with vested interests to utilize the deteriorating situation for next assembly polls.

The Akhilesh Yadav government has announced financial help of Rs 45 lakhs to the family members of Akhlaq and assured them, whom he met at his residence on Sunday, that his government would provide full protection.

At the same time Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav launched veiled attack on BJP and said that eversince his government was installed the communal organisations were busy in spreading hatred to destabilize his government.

Significantly enough, the BJP MLA Sangeet Som, whose name figured during incidents in Muzaffarnagar riots, not only addressed panchayat in Bisada village in Dadri but also charged UP government of appeasing minorities. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also said that communal colour should not be given to the Dadri incident. He warned the UP government of mass movement if any attempt was made to send local villagers to jail.

The situation is also very tense after arrest of the son of a local BJP leader for his role in lynching of Akhlaq with other youths who are absconding. The name of BJP leader’s son is mentioned in the FIR.

Bahujan Samaj Party also condemned the incident and sent its high-level delegation under the leadership of former minister Nasimuddin Siddiqui, who is a Muslim face of the party. BSP delegation offered help of Rs 11 lakhs to the family. But somehow the local women protested against Nasimuddin when he reached the village. The BSP leader also demanded CBI probe into the killing.

Political observer Ramesh Dixit feels that Dadri type incidents expose the failure of Akhilesh Yadav government, which allow communal forces to succeed to spread anger and distrust before the 2017 Assembly polls. (IPA Service)