After BJP fact-finding team, delegation of 5 Opposition parties to visit Kairana

A delegation of five opposition parties, including JD(U), CPI(M) and NCP, will on Thursday visit Kairana where it will meet residents and address a gathering of civil society, alleging that BJP's claim of exodus of Hindus and subsequent visit by a party team have created "anxiety and tension" in Western Uttar Pradesh.

"They (BJP) have tested the waters in Godhra and Muzaffarnagar riots and seen the results and are in search of (an opportunity for) doing the same before the upcoming UP Assembly election," JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi said in a statement.

Condemning BJP president Amit Shah's statement on "exodus" of Hindus in Kairana, the opposition parties alleged that the statement has created tension in the area.

The delegation which will visit Kandhla and Kairana include JD(U) lawmaker KC Tyagi, CPI(M) lawmaker Md Salim, CPI's D Raja, NCP lawmaker DP Tripathi and RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha.

"They will meet with all sections of the society and address a gathering of civil society in Kairana. Members of the delegation took strong exception to and emphatically condemned the statement made by Shah about Kairana exodus," Tyagi said.

A nine-member BJP team today visited Kairana to review the situation over alleged migration of Hindus that has set off a political slugfest even as Congress said the BJP leadership has been "totally exposed" after a party lawmaker's U-turn on the issue.

The fact-finding team was announced by Amit Shah on Monday during the course of its National Executive meeting in Allahabad after BJP lawmaker Hukum Singh alleged there was a communal angle to the 'migration' from Kairana in Shamli district in UP where elections are due next year.

Hukum Singh, who had recently alleged that several Hindu families have been forced to migrate from Kairana following atrocities from "one particular community", did a volte face on Tuesday, saying that it was "not communal" in nature but had more to do with the law and order situation.

Earlier in the day, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav cautioned against any attempt to foment communal tension ahead of the Assembly polls.

"People from Kairana did come to me. They told me that what all they (BJP) are saying is a lie. It is nice that they (BJP) have made a U-turn from what they have earlier said. Soon there will be elections in UP, there should not be any tension on communal divide," he said.