BJP MLA Suresh Rana booked for hate speech during UP poll campaign

Controversial BJP MLA Suresh Rana was today booked by Uttar Pradesh Police on charges of inciting hatred after he said that curfew will be imposed in Kairana, Deoband and Moradabad if he is elected again in Assembly polls next month.

Rana, an accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots and the party candidate from Thana Bhawan seat in neighbouring Shamli district, had made the remarks at a gathering in his constituency on Saturday, evoking criticism from opposition.

"If I emerge as the winner (in UP polls), curfew will be imposed in Kairana, Deoband and Moradabad," he said.

A case was registered against Rana under IPC Section 505 (Making a statement with intent to incite) and Section 125 (Promoting enmity between classes in connection with election) of The Representation of the People Act for his controversial remarks, Thana Bhawan circle officer Sunil Kumar Tyagi said.

The officer said that it was found that the MLA's statement violated the model code of conduct for elections. Rana today tried to do some damage control claiming that his remarks were meant for goons who have spread terror in the state.

"What I meant was many people have planned to leave western UP fearing the terror spread by goons and robbers. There is no city in that region where people have not planned to move out due to the fear of these goons," Rana said.

"...when BJP forms government in UP, these goons who are part of the mafia, whose actions are feared and who forced residents to flee will have to leave the state. The residents of UP won't leave due to fear. The goons will have to leave the state," he added.

Kairana made headlines last year after BJP MP Hukum Singh alleged that there was exodus of Hindus and released a list of more than 300 Hindu families who had reportedly fled the town following repeated extortion threats and violent attacks.

Singh had alleged that the ruling Samajwadi Party was preventing action against anti-social elements responsible for the exodus since they happened to be its supporters.

Hitting out at Rana, SP leader Juhi Singh said, "What does he want to do by imposing a curfew, he does not seem educated even to know when a curfew is imposed".

"One list was brought out by Hukum Singh, which was wrong. They are just telling wrong things to people so that they don't ask them the important questions like what schemes have you brought for Kairana, for UP," she said.

BJP leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi sought to distance from the MLA's remarks saying "the party is not responsible if a candidate says something".

"Modi ji and Amit Shah are saying that such statements should not be made. I don't know in what context he (Rana) has said it but I understand that our party is contesting the UP elections on the development plank," Joshi said.

Rana has also been booked for allegedly violating the model code of conduct after he held a public gathering and took out a road show at Hathi Karonda village in his constituency in Shamli district yesterday without the permission of the authorities, police said.