Controversial BJP MLA Sangeet Som has landed in another controversy just before the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls with the police seizing a CD allegedly containing clippings of 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots being played from one of his campaign vehicles in Meerut's Sardhana area.
The police said that a case has been filed against the driver of the campaign vehicle and the manager of Som’s campaign office for the violation of model code of conduct.
Som, a BJP candidate from Sardhana, is one of the accused in Muzaffarnagar riots and allegedly played a crucial role in inciting violence after a minor clash between the two communities.
According to police sources, the campaign vehicle played out the CD at two places in Sardhana on the LED screen mounted at it. The CD reportedly contains the clippings of the clashes that took place in Kawal village of Muzaffarnagar that preceded the riots that claimed at least 62 lives.
Sources said that it also contains clippings from Muzaffarnagar riots and from Kairana, which was in news last year over allegations that Hindus were being forced out from the town.
When the police received information of such CD being played out in public, it registered a complaint against driver Birendra Kumar and campaign office manager Chandrashekhar.
Senior superintendent of Meerut Police J Ravindra and District magistrate B Chandrakala confirmed that a CD was seized after unauthorised campaigning. The campaign was in violation of code of conduct and case has been registered against two people, they said.
The said CD has been forwarded to Media Certification Monitoring Committee (MCMC) and further action has been initiated, they informed.
"We got a complaint from a source that a CD with clippings of Muzaffarnagar riots is being played on the election campaign vehicle of Sangeet Som in Sardhana area. I immediately called up the sub-divisional magistrate of Sardhana to look into the matter, who further informed police and seized the CD from the spot," DM Chandrakala said.
When contacted, Som told the Times of India that all permissions had been taken from the Election Commission and the CD did not contain any clippings of Muzaffarnagar riots.
