CPI(ML) on Thursday demanded that the President intervene to stop the Uttar Pradesh government from “forcibly” closing relief camps for the riot affected in Muzaffarnagar and ensure adequate relief and rehabilitation measures for all survivors.
“The UP Government seems to have abdicated its duty to ensure relief, rehabilitation and justice for the survivors, and arrest of those accused of communal violence and rape,” Revolutionary Youth Association’s General Secretary Ravi Rai said while addressing a demonstration in New Delhi to express solidarity with the riot victims.
The Left party alleged that the UP Government was “bent on forcibly closing” the relief camps, evicting the survivors and preventing their safe return to their villages.
“Relief camps at Loi and Bhora have already faced bulldozers, with the riot survivors given ultimatums to leave within a few hours. Children have died of cold and lack of medicines. Women who have been raped see no prospect of justice, even in cases where FIRs have been filed and perpetrators named, no arrests have followed.
“In such circumstances, it is far from enough for political leaders from the ruling party at the Centre to make visits and score political points. What is needed is effective intervention to correct this travesty of justice and democracy,” said Swapan Mukherjee, senior Polit bureau member of CPI(ML).
The protesters demanded immediate arrest and prosecution of all named in the FIRs accused of riot and rape. They sought an SC-monitored probe by a special investigation team to investigate the communal violence cases of Muzaffarnagar and asked the President’s office to directly monitor these measures.
The protesters also emphasised the need to enact the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparation) Bill in the next session of Parliament.
“In the case of Muzaffarnagar, undoubtedly the communal Sangh forces are responsible for the communal violence. But the UP government’s role is criminally reprehensible.
“The central government’s role here is crucial, and President’s office must intervene to ensure that the Central Government acts to defend the Constitution,” emphasised CPI(ML) leader Girija Pathak.
Representatives of JNUSU and Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association of Delhi and NCR also participated in the dharna.
In Lucknow, the CPI(ML) workers demonstrated against the forcible closure of relief camps.
The party workers sent a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee through the district administration seeking his intervention to prevent the Uttar Pradesh government from closing the relief camps.
They said that the President should issue an advisory to prevent eviction of victims from camps.
Similar demonstrations were held across the state, a party release said.
Our Staff Reporter from Patna reports:
CPI (ML) demands SIT probe in Muzaffarnagar riots Patna: The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) on Thursday demanded probe by a Special Investigation Team and Centre’s intervention in the Muzaffarnagar riots in Uttar Pradesh.
“Nearly 500 FIRs were registered in the riots case and 6,000 people were named, but only over 200 have been arrested. The perpetrators are moving scot free. To make matters worse, we hear statements from the government that the people in the relief camps are political leaders or the denial that people do not die of cold. The State government failed totally to control the riots,” Deepankar Bhattacharya, party general secretary, said at a protest in Patna, as part of its nationwide andolan.
Questioning the Centre’s silence over the handling of the situation in Muzaffarnagar, Mr. Bhattacharya said CPI (ML) would send a memorandum to the President Pranab Mukherjee seeking the Centre’s intervention in Uttar Pradesh under article 355 (duty of the Union to protect States against external aggression and internal disturbance) of the Constitution.
Mr. Bhattacharya accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of breaking the farmers’ in UP’s Bareilly district and “misleading” it to participate in the riots.
The Muzaffarnagar incident, he said, was “a clear premeditated pre-poll conspiracy of the BJP.” “Some want the 2014 elections to take place in a communally charged atmosphere.”
In a veiled attack on Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, who recently visited Muzaffarnagar, Mr. Bhattacharya said, “Some think they can put an end to communalism by forging an alliance with the Congress. Their aim is only to grab power. Communalism grew in the Congress’ regime. On the other hand Nitish Kumar is being projected as a secular hero,” he remarked.
