Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 25 (IANS): The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has demanded that the name of BJP's disqualified MLA Vikram Saini be removed from the voters' list after the Allahabad high court rejected his petition for suspension of his conviction in a 2013 Muzaffarnagar riot case.

A letter to this effect has been sent by Muzaffarnagar RLD President Sandeep Malik.

Malik wrote a letter to the Muzzafarnagar District Magistrate, who is also the district's Returning Officer, demanding to remove Saini's name from the voters' list and stop him from campaigning in the Khatauli bypoll.

The BJP has fielded Saini's wife Rajkumari Saini in Khatauli Assembly constituency after he was convicted by a court in the Muzaffarnagar riot case.

Saini had filed a petition in Allahabad high court for suspension of his conviction but the latter rejected his appeal.

Mentioning the high court's decision, Malik also demanded that Saini be stopped from campaigning in favour of his wife because he had been accused of disturbing communal harmony and was doing it again to ensure victory of his wife.

The Muzaffarnagar RLD President said that the disqualified BJP MLA could go to any extent to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the Khatauli Assembly constituency, so he should be stopped from campaigning.

The RLD-Samajwadi Party (SP) alliance has fielded Madan Bhaiya in Khatauli Assembly constituency.

BJP leader Abhishek Gurjar, who quit the RLD after Madan Bhaiya was fielded, said that the RLD was afraid. He added that removal of name from the voters' list was a legal process and the law would take its own course if the issue had any legal sanctity.

Earlier this month, the Election Commission had struck off SP leader Mohd. Azam Khan's name from the voters' list on similar grounds.