Against the backdrop of communal riots in Muzaffarnagar, an analysis shows that political parties have been giving tickets to the candidates involved in rioting, spreading enmity and even booked under destruction, damage and defilement of places of worship.

According to the affidavits filed by the candidates who have contested the parliamentary and state assembly elections, 55 lawmakers have cases booked under IPC Section 153 (A), promoting enmity, Section 295, destruction, damage or defilement of a place of worship and Section 295A causing deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings. These include 17 MPs and 38 MLAs and mostly from UP followed by Andhra Pradesh. 

The analysis released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) shows while 8 MPs belong to the BJP, 4 MPs owe allegiance to Samajwadi Party. 

Further national parties had fielded 80 candidates in both parliamentary and state assemblies since 2008, who had cases registered under the Section 153. 

Of them 13 were from BJP, 7 from SP, 6 from Congress and 2 from Shiv Sena.

Among the sitting MPs having such charges include Varun Gandhi (BJP), Asadudin Owasi (AIMIM, Hyderabad), Brij Bhushan Saran Singh (SP), Thirumaavalavan Thol (VMK, Tamil Nadu), Angad Suresh Channabaseppa (BJP), Murli Manohar Joshi (BJP), LK Advani (BJP), Nalini Kumar Kateel (BJP), Rajnath Singh (BJP), Gundu Sudha Rani (TDP), Vinay Katiyar (BJP) and Aditya Nath (BJP).