Muzaffarnagar riots return to political spotlight ahead of 2027 UP elections

The Muzaffarnagar riots remain one of western UP's most politically and emotionally charged episodes, killing over 60 people and deepening communal divisions that continue to shape the region's electoral politics.The Muzaffarnagar riots remain one of the most emotionally charged episodes in the region’s recent history. (Photo: Reuters)Thirteen years on, Muzaffarnagar is back in Uttar Pradesh’s political spotlight, with the ghosts of the 2013 riots once again haunting western UP ahead of the 2027 polls.On September 7, the 13th anniversary of the violence, an anonymous poster appeared across Muzaffarnagar, parts of western Uttar Pradesh and Lucknow with a pointed question: “Have you not forgotten the Muzaffarnagar riots?”Since the post was anonymous and did not name anyone, it was initially difficult to understand why there was an attempt to revive memories of the riots 13 years later.However, after BJP Hindutva leader Sangeet Som linked the post to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and BJP ministers and MLAs began invoking the 2013 riots in their social media posts, a broader political push to revive the issue appeared to be taking shape. The timing is significant.The region is already witnessing a renewed focus on religious issues. A mosque at the Saharanpur Collectorate was demolished following a court order, while an inquiry into another mosque in Moradabad has begun. Against this backdrop, the sudden return of Muzaffarnagar to political messaging raises a larger question: Is the BJP once again preparing to make Hindu-Muslim polarisation a central electoral narrative in western Uttar Pradesh?The Muzaffarnagar riots remain one of the most emotionally charged episodes in the region’s recent history. More than 60 people were killed in the violence, which also left deep social and political divisions. The riots subsequently became a defining moment in western Uttar Pradesh’s electoral politics and helped sharpen communal polarisation in the region.Now, 13 years later, the repeated invocation of the riots by BJP leaders appears to be more than a reference to history.For the BJP, western Uttar Pradesh has always been an important political battleground. The party knows that Muslim voters largely remain outside its electoral base, while the consolidation of Hindu votes has played a crucial role in its electoral strategy.Bringing the Muzaffarnagar riots back into the political conversation could therefore serve to reinforce an already familiar narrative of polarisation.But there is another political calculation at play.Law and order remains one of the key issues in western Uttar Pradesh. By combining that narrative with repeated references to the Muzaffarnagar violence, the BJP could put the Samajwadi Party on the defensive, particularly by seeking to revive memories of the period when the riots took place.The choreography around the anniversary is also noteworthy. Sangeet Som’s arrival in Lucknow, his interaction with the media, the appearance of posters in western Uttar Pradesh and the simultaneous social media posts by BJP ministers and legislators have collectively ensured that the Muzaffarnagar riots are no longer confined to history books or old political speeches.They are back in the political conversation.Whether this will translate into a full-fledged electoral campaign remains to be seen. But with the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching, the message emerging from western UP is difficult to miss: the BJP may once again be testing the political potency of Muzaffarnagar — and the communal fault lines it represents.- EndsPublished By: Shipra ParasharPublished On: Sep 9, 2026 20:44 IST