Kairana exodus: Hukum Singh discusses UP’s law and order with Rajnath Singh

After his claims about Hindu families fleeing Kairana, Singh had also released another list of 63 families and claimed that they had to flee Kandhla town in Shamli district. “These Hindu families have left under duress,” he had claimed.

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The BJP leader, however, made a U-turn after a few days, saying the “migration” of Hindus from Kairana was “not communal” in nature but had more to do with the law and order situation. Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that “if some people are forced to leave their native place by any individual or gang, the state government must take proper action.”

UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had, however, accused BJP leaders of “lying” and being “dishonest” on the issue. Yadav had claimed that most of the people had left the village about 10 to 15 years ago, while others had left in search of jobs about seven or eight years ago.

The Indian Express had reported that the list of Hindus that Singh claimed had left Kairana over “threats and extortion by criminal elements belonging to a particular community (read Muslims)” had discrepancies.

While it had names of some who have left alleging harassment by “gangs”, the list included names of people who had died, of those who left Kairana more than 10 years ago and still others who said that they migrated for a better school for their children or a better job.

The Indian Express had tracked down 22 people who figured in Singh’s list and found five had died, four had moved out of Kairana looking for better opportunities, 10 left more than 10 years ago and three had moved fearing “local criminals”.