By India Tomorrow News,
New Delhi/ Malakpur, 22 Dec 2013: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday visited relief camps in riot-hit Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts of Uttar Pradesh and suggested the refugees to go back to their homes.
Maulana Mohammad Aslam Al-Hasni Qasmi, incharge of Malakpur relief camp in Shamli district, told India Tomorrow that Mr. Gandhi suggested the victims to go back to their homes asking how long they will stay in the camps.
“He spent about 40 minutes here and mostly he was silent and listening to what people were saying to him,” Qasmi informed.
“I am here visiting to assess the ground situation,” Mr. Gandhi told victims.
The land, where more than 4000 victims are staying in makeshift camps, belongs to the forest department of UP. The department earlier filed an FIR against organizers asking them to give back the land.
Victims asked Mr Gandhi for his help and favour to grant the land to build houses.
“We asked for his favour and effort then he said ‘remain in contact and come with a delegation to Delhi and meet me. We will do something for you’,” Qasmi told India Tomorrow.
Communal riots and clashes between Hindu Jats and Muslims broke out in several parts of western Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts in early September this year. According to a government report, about 60 people have died and more than 40,000 left homeless.
Many victims still live in makeshift camps where they are facing freezing temperatures and unavailability of basic amenities like health care, clean drinking water and nutritious food.
