Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday questioned the FIR filed against his party MP Zia ur Rehman Barq in connection with the Sambhal violence.

“When our MP (Barq) was not present in Sambhal on Sunday, how could the police lodge an FIR against him for triggering violence?” he asked. This riot was orchestrated by the BJP government. Immediately after the court passed the order, police and the district administration reached Jama Masjid for the survey,” he said.

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The police, however, said Barq was given notices for giving inflammatory speeches earlier as well.

Reacting to the incident, the Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator said, “The incident carried out by the police administration in Sambhal has shocked the entire humanity and tarnished the image of the state and the country. Yesterday, I was not even present in the state. I had gone to Bengaluru to attend the meeting of the India Muslim Personal Law Board, but a case was registered against me.”

He called it a “conspiracy of the police administration”.

“When the public does not know when you are coming for the survey, what conspiracy will they do?… As part of the conspiracy, they have used weapons and killed five of our innocent people and injured many others,” Barq added.

The SP MP also demanded that a case of murder be registered against these officers and they be put behind the bars.

“The DM and SP should be suspended so that people get justice and no one dares to indulge in such illegal incidents against the Constitution,” he added.