Muzaffarnagar clashes: Mulayam Singh Yadav meets Akhilesh Yadav, others

Facing flak from the opposition over Muzaffarnagar communal clashes, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, on Sunday, held a meeting with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, ministers and senior officials while the Army staged a flag march in the strife-torn district.

Yadav held the meeting at his residence this afternoon in which Chief Secretary Javed Usmani, Principal Secretary Home RM Srivastava and several ministers were also present, sources said.

Expressing displeasure over spurt in violence, Yadav asked them to ensure that law and order is maintained in the state.

"The incident is unfortunate. Our government is committed to strictly dealing with such incidents. Directives have been issued in this regard," UP minister Shahid Manzoor told reporters after the meeting.

However, SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury, who too was present at the meeting, did not elaborate details.

"It was not a meeting. We went there for talks...," Chowdhury said avoiding questions.

Meanwhile, taking potshots at the ruling party, BJP spokesman Manoj Mishra said,"with Mulayam taking the charge, it has been proved that the present chief minister failed."

"Due to failure of the present CM, Mulayam had to take the charge. It has been proved that the government has failed on administrative front," Mishra said in a statement.

Meanwhile, following the violence in parts of West UP, Army was pressed into service in Muzzaffarnagar, Shamli and Meerut district, Amry sources said here.

"Eight Army columns from Meerut under Brigadier Jagdeep reached Muzaffarnagar early in the morning and had a meeting with the senior officials of the state police and the civil administration.

"Immediately after the meeting, the Army columns were located in various sensitive areas of the city," they said.

The Army columns also conducted a mounted flag march in Muzaffarnagar.

Another call for requisitioning Army assistance in Shamli was received from the District Magistrate and accordingly one Army column was moved from Meerut to Shamli.

"Requisition for Army assistance in Meerut was received this afternoon. One more column is being located in Meerut," they said.