New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS): A Muslim leader has urged Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh to help the thousands of Muslims who fled their villages after the riots in Uttar Pradesh to return to their homes.

Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, made the appeal at the head of a delegation to Ajit Singh, who leads the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), a Jamaat statement said.

Ajit Singh and RLD command a sizeable influence in western Uttar Pradesh, where communal riots engulfed Muzaffarnagar earlier this month, leaving at least 40 people dead.

Thousands of Muslims fled their villages and have taken shelter in makeshift centres in Muzaffarnagar town, about 130 km from New Delhi, and other places.

The Jamaat president drew the attention of Ajit Singh towards the problems of thousands of people who have become homeless due to the riots.

Maulana Umari also urged Ajit Singh to use his influences in western Uttar Pradesh to help the victims return to their homes safely and to create an atmosphere of peace and communal harmony in the region.

The statement quoted Ajit Singh as assuring the Jamaat leaders that he would make all efforts to create peaceful atmosphere for the return of the affected people to their homes.