MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

Besides this the chief minister has got advertisements published in newspapers asking the public to
decide between Modi and Musharraf. (Asian Age 16.9.02)
17 TH September
NCM in a bind over tapes of Modi’s speech (7)
NEW DELHI, SEPT. 16. Anxious to keep away from the rough-and-tumble of politics, the National
Commission for Minorities (NCM) today finds itself in a bind as the Gujarat Govern ment is yet to respond
to its demand for the tapes/tran script of the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi's speech during the first leg of
the controversial 'gaurav rath yatra'. Nearly a week after the NCM asked the State administration for a
copy of Mr. Modi's speech in which he reportedly distort ed the family planning slogan to rail against the
minority community, the commission is yet to decide its next move but is certain that it does not want to
ask the BJP for the text. ' At today's 'routine' meeting of the NCM, members appar ently decided to give the
State Government 'reasonable time' to respond before taking fur ther action. They refused to disclose how
long the commission would wait for a formal response from the State administration which is said to have
already commu nicated verbally its inability to do the needful as the 'yatra' was a political function and was
not organised by the Govern ment. (Hindu 17.9.02)
Modi’s remarks are history: BJP (7)
New Delhi: Taking cue from Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani's stout defence of Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi's gaurav yatra on Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken a conscious
decision not to pursue the matter regard ing his controversial anti-minor ity statements. "As far as the issue
regarding Modi and his speeches are con cerned, it is a closed chapter," BJP president Venkaiah Naidu
said on Monday Meanwhile, the National Com mission for Minorities (NCM) said it was yet to receive the
text and tape of Modi's speech made last week. NCM vice-chairperson Tarlochan Singh said: "We want
the original text and tape from the state government. We are waiting for them." The Central BJP, initially
de fensive and embarrassed about Modi's intemperate remarks, now appears to have decided to give
him a free hand. When the media first reported how Modi, in his rallies, had urged the peo ple to teach a
lesson to "those who believe in multiplying them selves", the BJP had sought to distance itself from his
diatribe. Naidu had called up Modi and urged him to exercise restraint in his speeches. But Modi had
maintained that he had been mis quoted. (Times of India 17.9.02)
18 th September
Kolkata police in knots over beards (7)
Kolkata:The Kolkata police has locked horns with the West Bengal Minority Commission over the question
of allowing Muslim policemen to sport a flowing beard. The issue snowballed after a Muslim constable
was suspended for refusing to shave his beard. His suspension was however, revoked after the minority
commission intervened. But far from setting the controversy at rest, the incident has sparked off a furious
debate. West Bengal Minority Commission chairman KM Yusuf has called for amendments to police
service rules to accommodate religious considerations. (Pioneer 18.9.02)
Thankyou, says Mayawati; Babri’s Big Three accused breathe more easy (7)
LUCKNOW, NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 17: JUST a week before the Supreme Court's deadline for
issuing a fresh notifica tion on the Babri Masjid case was to expire, Chief Minister Mayawati today
announced that she had decided against it. This will ob viously go a long way in cementing her rela tionship
with the BJP—at least, for now. For, it's a major reprieve for Deputy Prirne Minister L K Advani, Human
Re source Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, Sports Minister Uma Bharti and a number of other
BJP and VHP leaders accused in the Babri Masjid demo lition case. Ativani is scheduled to share the dais
with Mayawati and Kanshi Ram in Lucknow at a public meet ing on September 28. Mayawati claimed that
her decision does n't mean that "the ac cused leaders in the Ayodhya case will es cape trial." She said that
they could be tried in (an)other court than the one where the "earlier notification was quashed on a technical
error on February 12, 2000." (Indian Express 18.9.02)
No need for special court on Ayodhya, says Mayawati (7)