NEW DELHI: Taking the Chandra Shekhar government to task for not displaying enough political will in dealing with the escalating communal violence, the National Front-Left Front combine Dec 16 waned that the situation was in fact, fast deteriorating.

The former home minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said the situation had worsened after the new government took over with states governed by the Congress or those supported by it also becoming engulfed by communal violence.

Mr P. Upendra, former information and broadcasting minister said both the Centre as well as the Congress-led state government had failed to discharge their duties alleging that they had little or no concern for the suffering masses.

Mr Saifuddin Choudhury of the CPM lashed out at the Chandra Shekhar government for being practically non-existent and non-functional. The continuance of this government, according to him, would further aggravate the communal situation and demanded that the “government must go.” He called for a realignment of political forces, as there is practically no government at the Centre.

COMMUNAL STRIFE: Mr Rajmohan Gandhi of the Janata Dal blamed the BJP-VHP combine, for creating this climate of violence. As regards Hyderabad, Mr Gandhi and the Mufti referred to the possibility of dissidence in the Congress party’s ranks being responsible for the current wave of communal strife.

Mr Upendra, the Mufti, Mr Choudhury and Mr Gandhi, who returned Dec 15 after visiting the riot-hit areas of Hyderabad told newspapers that residents these were afraid and in the grip of panic as the law enforcing agencies had failed while local anti-social elements held sway. These leaders had accompanied the former Prime Minister, Mr V.P. Singh, the Janata Dal president, Mr S.R Bommai, the National Front chairman, Mr N.T. Rama Rao and the CPM leader, Mr E.M.S. Nam boodri pad, on a day-long tour of Hyderabad.

According to the Mufti, the communal situation was far worse than what prevailed when the first kar seva was conducted by the VHP on October30, or what happened after the BJP leader, Mr L.K.Advani’s Rath Yatra was stopped. The former home minister said while the Central and the state governments had then displayed the will to deal with the situation it was no longer so now. He admitted that there had been violence even then, but was localised and brought swiftly under control. Dec 16 communal strife appears to be continuously escalating, spreading to states ruled by the Congress or those supported by it i.e. Gujarat and U.P.

CONFUSION: What made matters worse, he said, was the confusion over the Congress party’s stand as to whether the shilanayas permitted by it last year at Ayodhya should have been allowed or not. The U.P. chief minister, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Mufti said, had taken one position while the Congress another.

Article extracted from this publication >> December 21, 1990