- Known as first big communal riots in Uttar Pradesh post-independence
- August 1980 to November 1981 – Muslims Vs Hindu Dalits
- Violence began in Moradabad – August 13, 1980
- Spread to other cities – Sambhal, Aligarh, Bareilly, Prayagraj – and even to some Delhi areas
- Death toll – 289 – as told by then state HM Swarup Kumari Bakshi
- Reason – rumor – pig near Eidgah – where around 50,000 Muslims gathered for Eid-ul-Fitr
- Heated arguments between police and people at Eidgah on removing it
- Stone pelting and violence by the crowd, seriously injuring police officials and killing a magistrate
- In response, police opened fire, killing many
- Stamped killed many more – and soon it tuned into communal riots
Fumbled
- India – a Congress government – under PM Indira Gandhi
- Uttar Pradesh – a Congress government – under CM VP Singh
Retd Justice M P Saxena
- One man commission – to probe it
- Retd from Allahabad High Court – August 1, 1980
- Submitted his report – November 1983
- Mandate limited to – the August 13, 1980 Moradabad Eidgah riots
- Report tabled – 8th August 2023 – giving clean chit to then officials, police, BJP and RSS
- Says IUML and its state leaders were responsible