Muzzafarnagar Live: Third MLA arrested, Suresh Rana remanded to 14 days custody

1:31 PM BJP MLA Suresh Rana, who was on Friday arrested on charges of inciting riots, was today remanded to 14 days judicial custody  while, BJP MLA Sangeet Som, accused of uploading a fake video that played a role in provoking communal tension in Muzaffarnagar and making inflammatory speeches, was today arrested from Salava village in his constituency Sardhana amid slogan-shouting by his supporters.

Though police said they had arrested Som, the supporters of the legislator claimed he had surrendered before Sardhana police. Police has been put on alert in the town to deal with possible protests by BJP supporter.

1:00 pm BSP  MLA  Noor Salim arrested

The Uttar Pradesh Police today also arrested BSP MLA Noor Salim Rana for allegedly making hate speech which instigated riots. The arrest comes hours after BJP MLA Sangeet Som, named in the Muzaffarnagar riots for allegedly circulating a hate video, surrendered before the police.

SP is hounding innocents, responsible for violence: Rajnath

11:35 amRajnath Singh has said, “SP is hounding innocents. President’s rule should be imposed in UP. SP is responsible for violence.”

The BJP president also said that the arrests of innocents must stop. He told reporters that a delegation from the BJP will be meeting the president on September 24th and appraise him of the situation.

After the district management advised him not to visit Muzaffarnagar as it would further vitiate the situation he said to CNN-IBN, “It is unfortunate that the administration is stopping me from visiting.”

11:00 am BJP MLA Sangeet Som, accused of inciting communal violence in in UP, surrendered to the Uttar Pradesh police this morning.

Som, who has reportedly been accused of circulating a video that claimed to show the lynching of two Hindu Jat boys, has rubbished claims that he uploaded a fake video that played a crucial role in the Muzaffarnagar communal riots.

“I only shared the video, sharing is no crime,” Som was quoted as saying by CNN IBN.

He further said that he is not the kind of person who would exploit riots and blamed the state government for inciting communal violence.

The move by the MLA comes almost an hour after he was served with an arrest warrant. After receiving warrant, Som said he’s a law-abiding citizen and would therefore surrender.

While requesting the BJP leader to cancel the visit, the district magistrate said that Rajnath’s visit could vitiate the atmosphere, according to CNN IBN.

Some reports also suggest that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav also appealed to the BJP president to cancel the visit.

10: 30 am Rajnath Singh cancels visit to  Muzzafarnagar

Meanwhile,  BJP party president Rajnath Singh cancelled his visit to Muzzafarnagar   after being advised by the district magistrate of the region on Saturday

Som’s arrest comes a day after the Uttar Pradesh police arrested BJP MLA Suresh Rana on charges of making provocative speeches to cause riots.

Violence broke out in the Kawal area of Muzaffarnagar on August 27, when members of a community returning from a panchayat meeting in Naglabadhod, three kilometres from Kawal, clashed with members of another community.

9:00 am  After Rana, will BJP MLA Sangeet Som be arrested today?

BJP legislator Suresh Rana, one of the politicians accused in the Muzaffarnagar communal violence in Uttar Pradesh, was finally arrested here Friday, police said.

“I have not run away anywhere. I have done nothing illegal. I had come to surrender myself. They are treating me like a common criminal,” Rana had said after his arrest.

According to a CNN IBN report, Uttar Pradesh Police are likely to arrested Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sangeet Som today for allegedly making hate speech which instigated Muzaffarnagar riots.

Sangeet Som, who has reportedly been accused of circulating a video that claimed to show the lynching of two Hindu Jat boys, has rubbished claims that he uploaded a fake video that played a crucial role in the Muzaffarnagar communal riots.

Som said that he is not on the run, and has even attended the Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday being the people’s representative.

Arrest warrants were issued against several UP politicians including BJP MLAs Sangeet Som, Bhartentu Singh, Suresh Rana, Bharatiya Kisan Union leaders Rakesh Tikait and Naresh Tikait, BSP MP Kadir Rana, BSP MLAs Noor Saleen Rana, Jameel Ahmed, Congress leader and former Muzaffarnagar MP Saeed-ur-Zama, Samajwadi Party’s Rasheed Siddiqui and 16 other people.

Rana was taken into custody while going to Gomtinagar locality from the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters here, Inspector General of Police R.K. Vishwakarma told IANS.

A legislator from Bhawan in Muzaffarnagar, Rana has been booked under the Indian Penal Code and section 7 of the Criminal Amendment Act, which is a non-bailable offence, the official said.

The Muzaffarnagar police had some days ago issued an arrest warrant for Rana in line with a judicial ruling.

As news of Rana’s arrest spread, several of his supporters reached the Gomtinagar police station and tried to prevent police from taking him away to an undisclosed destination.

Similar arrest warrants have been issued against 16 political leaders including four BJP legislators, a Congress leader and a Bahujan Samaj Party MP.

All of them have been accused of inciting people in Muzaffarnagar, where communal violence this month left more than 40 people dead and thousands displaced.

Laxmikant Bajpayi, the Uttar Pradesh BJP president, told IANS that the party will defend its leaders in courts.

He accused the Samajwadi Party government of acting against BJP leaders without proof and in order to “appease the minority community”.

With inputs from Agencies