Communal Riots-2011.pdf - Indian Social Institute

meeting, Sinha claimed, adding, "The real face of Modi's Sadbhavana is now exposed." A large number
of people, meanwhile gatherd at the venue of Modi's fast for peace, unity and harmony under
'Sadhbhavna Mission'. At one point of time, police resorted to baton-charge to control the large crowds
which tried to enter the Gujarat University Convention hall here. The large turnout prompted BJP leader
Shahnawaz Hussain, who was among the several BJP leaders who descended at the venue, to say that
Muslims in Gujarat have accepted Modi's governance. While BJP leaders exulted, the riot victims in an
open letter to the Chief Minister today said that, "No amount of power or arrogance gave Midas his glass
of water nor will you get your 'sadbhavana' with all your developmental publicity." "If you were so great a
Chief Minister as you claim today, why couldn't you protect these innocent, helpless Muslims? In fact, why
did you fail to protect the innocent 58 passengers of Sabarmati Express who also died in the terrible fire
on 27th February, 2002?," they asked and dismissed the fast as a publicity stunt. Hussain, however, said
Muslims in Gujarat are progressing with the rest of the state and they have shown their acceptance of the
government by coming out in huge numbers to support Modi's three-day fast. "The perception of BJP and
Modi being (anti-minority) is not correct. The fact is that Muslims in Gujarat are progressing. People have
come here; spoke about their view and acceptance of the government. People of minority community in
large numbers at the fast in not a fabrication," Hussain told reporters on sidelines of the fast here. "If
Gujarat has initiated talk on brotherhood and harmony, why are others getting agitated. I am surprised,"
he said. The counter fast of Gujarat Congress leaders Shankersinh Vaghela and Arjun Modhvadia
against Chief Minister Narendra Modi's 'Sadbhavana Mission' also entered the second day on Sunday.
"This fast by Modi is an exercise of image makeover for him to enter national politics but he is not going to
succeed in it," Vaghela said. The Congress leaders are observing their fast on the footpath in front of
Sabarmati Ashram. "We have taken the common man and party workers along with us in this fast. It is
unlike the five-star fast of the Gujarat Chief Minister where several crores of public money has been spent
on the arrangements draining the state exchequer," Vaghela said. "They have spent several crores on the
fast using the state machinery to organise it... we are sitting here to expose the black side of BJP
government before the people of Gujarat," he said. The two Congress leaders spent the night on a cot,
covered by a mosquito net, placed on the footpath. An air- conditioned van, equipped with modern
amenities and a toilet, has also been stationed at the venue. As BJP leaders flocked to the state to
express support for Modi, party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar described the 61-year-old chief
minister as a national figure. "He is a national figure. Let us not forget, he is a successful Chief Minister.
At the same time, he is the demand of people from all over the country," he said. "I think he is on the
national seat.... (He is) dedicated to work on a mission to develop Gujarat, because that is the mandate
today.... If he gets a different mandate, he will prove himself then too," he added. Among the BJP leaders
who arrived here to extend support to Modi's fast were Karnataka Chief Minister Sadanand Gowda,
senior leader Ananth Kumar, party's Delhi chief Jitendra Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir BJP in-charge
Jagdish Mukhi, party's Bihar president CP Thakur, BJP Mahila Morcha president Meenakshi Lekhi,
besides Vijay Goel, Ashwin Chaubey, Ajit Khatri and Arun Singh. As soon as Mukul Sinha of Jan
Sangharsh Manch (JSM) and riot victims reached the Nurani Mosque, they were detained and taken to
the Police headquarters in Shahibaug area. Social activist Mallika Sarabhai, who reached the venue later,
was also detained. They were detained for protesting without police permission, police said. "Around a
hundred of us have been detained by the police at Shahibaugh, on what charges I am not aware of,"
Sarabhai said. (NIE 19/9/11)
Court convicts 24 people for Kandhamal riots (7)
Phulbani (Orissa): A fast-track court in Orissa's Kandhamal district on Friday sentenced 24 people to
three years of rigorous imprisonment besides slapping a fine of Rs 1,000 each in connection with the
2008 communal riots. Pronouncing the judgement, judge S K Das also acquitted six other persons due to
lack of evidence. The convicts were charged with house burning, rioting and unlawful assembly in
Kurminga village under G Udayagiri police station in September 2008. In another case, the court
acquitted four persons of charges of setting afire a police out-post at Pasara under Tikabali police station
in the district in August 2008. The tribal-dominated district had witnessed communal violence in the
aftermath of the killing of senior VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati on August 23, 2008. (Zee
News 1/10/11)
Probe ordered into communal clashes in Uttarakhand (26)