In a big political move that can impact the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath government, after 43 years, on Tuesday tabled the judicial commission report on the much controversial 1980 Moradabad riots in which 83 Muslim were killed during Eid namaz.
Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna tabled the MP Saxena judicial commission report in the state assembly in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
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According to sources, as per the judicial commission report of 496 pages , submitted in 1983, it was found that several deaths were due to stampede, and police did not fire indiscriminately. It also gave clean chit to RSS- BJP and the district police and officials and claimed that the violence was pre-planned.
Besides, the report said that differences between Dr Hamid Hussain and Dr Shamim Ahmed Khan of Muslim league was the main reason for the violence. According to the report, no government official, employee or Hindu was responsible for creating disturbances at the Idgah and other places. Even the common Muslim were not responsible for creating nuisance at Idgah.
The riots took place due to the political ambitions of two Muslim League leaders. The report states that the Muslim League led by Dr Shamim Ahmed and another group led by Dr Hamid Hussain alias Dr Ajji and their supporters had triggered the violence. This whole riot was pre-planned.
Angry Muslims indiscriminately attacked police stations and Hindu areas after the rumor of a pig being pushed among the worshippers, report said. On May last, the Yogi Adityanath’s council of ministers cleared a proposal to table the enquiry report on 1980 Moradabad riots in the UP Assembly.
A one-member commission of Allahabad High Court Judge MP Saxena was set up by the then Congress government of VP Singh to investigate the reason behind the incident in which 83 people died and 112 were injured. According to the incident, on August 13, 1980, a pig reportedly entered the Eidgah in Moradabad during the Eid namaz. Around 70,000 people were reportedly attending the namaz at that moment.
Later violence broke out and in police firing and stampede 83 people had died and more than 100 were injured. Riots subsequently followed the incident. At that time, Congress-led by Indira Gandhi was in power at the Centre. Though the report was submitted to the government on November 20,1983, no subsequent governments released its content.