Mumbai: Alleging that riots in Solapur in Maharashtra on October 12 was a conspiracy to stoke communal passions, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on October 12 demanded a high-level probe into it.

"The riots in Solapur in reaction to US Baptist Minister Jerri Falwel's reported statement against Prophet Mohammed was a conspiracy to fan communal feelings," BJP state unit spokesman Prakash Jawdekar told reporters.

"Why there was reaction to Falwel's statement in Maharashtra only while nobody in US or Muslim countries responded to the reported remarks," questioned the BJP leader.

He squarely blamed "failure" of law and order machinery and "alleged role" of Muslim fundamentalist organisations for the riots in Solapur that claimed five lives and left many injured.

The BJP leader demanded that Army be called in to maintain law and order in the textile town.

The miscreants' act of stoning former BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Narsingh Mengji's house and setting it afire after two hours, was a "clear case of failure of police", he alleged.

Jawdekar said that those resorting to rioting and arson should be booked under stringent provisions of MCOCA.

The BJP spokesman claimed that the three years of Democratic Front (DF) regime has witnessed 52 riots so far but the government has failed to contain communal elements and was indulging in "protecting" the criminals.

He emphasised the need for stringent measures to control the incidents of communal riots.

PTI