Fresh incidents of arson in parts of curfew-hit Mau—from where no violence was reported during the recent riots—has unnerved local officials even as Jitendra Yadav, who had named Mau MLA Mukhtar Ansari in an FIR, accusing him of murdering his brother, turned hostile today. The MLA was charged with instigating crowds during the recent riots in Mau.According to the police, three houses, a shop and a convent school were burnt last night. This is the first such incident in the riot-hit town after Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav suspended five senior officials for laxity in checking the outbreak of violence.“We will look into the incidents. It is surprising that such a thing has happened despite deployment of policemen at all sensitive points,” the DM of Mau, Mukesh Meshram, told mediapersons.With Governor T V Rajeshwar Rao scheduled to will Mau tomorrow, district officials fear he might send an indicting report to the Centre, like he had done after visiting Gorakhpur following the outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis.Meanwhile, Yadav, who was today presented before the media by Ansari’s brother Afzal Ansari, said he was called to the Kotwali Police Station on October 17 and asked about the role of Mukhtar Ansari in the murder of his (Yadav’s) brother Ram Pratap Yadav in Mau on October 14. “Though I stated clearly that one Haji Vakil Ahmed Simlawale was responsible for the murder, the police said Mukhtar Ansari was present on the spot at that time, and made me sign a paper,” he said. He added he was mentally disturbed and signed the paper but came to know the details through the media the next day. Yadav said he met the chief minister this morning and told him what had actually happened.Mukhtar Ansari’s brother Afzal Ansari, who took Yadav to the chief minister, said since his brother had blamed the administration for the riots, the officials were trying to settle scores with him.“Mukhtar was a fool. He should have gone to the town seven days after the riots. He had gone to placate people and is now is facing the FIR,” said Afzal, a Samajwadi MP from Ghazipur.
