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Samajwadi Party disowns Mukhtar Ansari

       New Delhi: The ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, on Monday distanced itself from Mukhtar Ansari, the legislator alleged to have instigated the Mau riots. Mau, a small town situated nearly 300 kilometres from Lucknow, witnessed communal tension after a minor altercation between Hindus and Muslims on using loudspeakers during Dussehra on October 14. Hindus said they had switched off the loud speakers as it was objected to during Muslim prayers for breaking the Ramadan fast, and had resumed it once they were over but many Muslims denied the claims saying the flamboyant festivities hurt their sentiments.

      It was alleged that trouble brewed up when Mukhtar Ansari, an independent legislator instigating violence. Amar Singh, General Secretary, Samajwadi Party, refuted media reports that Ansari belonged to the ruling party, saying the legislator only supported it. "A negative publicity has been created that Mukhtar Ansari is a member of Samajwadi Party which is absolutely wrong as he is an independent candidate. He is just supporting the Samajwadi Party. Though media has hyped him as a member of the party, it is not so. It's not a question of party or a person, it's a question of the death of innocent people and even if he is a member of the SP, the Mulayam Singh government will make sure that the guilty is punished," said Amar Singh to reporters in New Delhi. Singh also accused the Congress government of conspiring against the Samajwadi party. "The deaths that have taken place due to violence is shameful and the state government has already expressed its condolence but the timing of the violence just as elections are approaching compels us to think that it's a conspiracy by the Congress government against the ruling government. The fact that the governor was sent to violence-hit Mau despite the orders by the State Government throws light on the fact," said Singh. Meanwhile, authorities have decided to relax curfew in the riot- hit place even as raids were on to nab Ansari.