The investigation report of the riots that took place in Moradabad in 1980 following Eid prayers was placed in the state Legislative Assembly on Tuesday. The Yogi government decided to make this report public in May last year. The proposal for this was also approved by the Cabinet. Previous governments had placed the investigation report before the Cabinet 14 times, but it was not allowed to be made public. The report in question had been completed in 1983. Now, 40 years later, the report has made clear that the riots occurred due to the political ambitions of two Muslim League leaders. The report has completely cleared the RSS and BJP (formerly Jan Sangh), stating that these organisations had no involvement in it. The public release of this report is expected to intensify political heat in Uttar Pradesh.
On 13 August 1980, during Eid prayers, an animal entered a mosque. There were more than 50,000 people present during the prayers. The entry of the animal sparked a violent reaction. The then Chief Minister, VP Singh, sent the PAC to control the situation. Amidst the violence and firing, 83 people were killed and 112 people were injured. The unrest then spread to other districts, and the army was deployed. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi even suggested Pakistan’s involvement in the riots. For the investigation of this matter, the then Chief Minister Singh, set up a single-member judicial commission led by Justice MP Saxena. The Commission submitted its 496-page report on 20 November 1983. However, no government since then had tabled it in the House. The report also stated that common Muslims were not guilty of these riots. Two Muslim League leaders, Dr Shamim Ahmad and Dr Hamid Hasan alias Ajji, were responsible and had pre-planned the violence to suit their own motives. Dr Ahmad was losing the elections and his popularity had decreased. According to the report, the riot was orchestrated so that common Muslims could sympathise with Ahmad. The Commission also suggested in the report that the tendency to consider Muslims as a vote bank should be discouraged.
During the Monsoon Session, the Opposition attempted to corner the government on unemployment. During the question period, Opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav asked how the number of 15-year-olds increased between 2017 and 2022 under the National Education Policy and how the government planned to improve their prospects. In response, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “It’s good to see that the Opposition leaders are now concerned about the population. We talk about the same law to control that population. At least some progress is being made in their thinking.” In the midst of this, a member of the SP mentioned “One State, One Course” and “One Value” in Uttar Pradesh. The CM countered, saying it would be better if they added “One Nation, One Law” to “One State, One Education”.
On Tuesday, there was uproar in the Legislative Assembly over the issue of inflation, with the Samajwadi Party staging a walkout.
