NEW DELHI: CPI Leader Indrajit Gupta on Feb.6 protested against the “continuing victimization” of the minorities and CPI and other Left activists in the four northern states where President’s rule was imposed in the wake of the Babri Masjid demolition.
Calling for the removal of communal elements in the bureaucracy and the police in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, Gupta said senior CPI district leaders had been subjected to “savage” treaimentin various places.
Physical assaults and amounts of CPI local leaders had also taken place in Mau, Azamgarh, Allahabad and other places, he said.
The CPI general secretary pointed out that the local administration’s attitude was evident in their refusal to permit the secular parties to hold public meetings and rallies at several places, including Varanasi.
The Central Government must take part of the responsibility for the recent riots in Bombay, Gupta said, adding that Prime Minister P.V Narasimha Rao’s credibility had sunk to a new low” after the Center’s failure to intervene.
Observing that the situation in the country was surcharged, with the agitated younger generation Muslims contemplating a backlash, the CPI leader said it was gratifying that the fires of communalism had not touched the rural people, who had maintained peace throughout the turbulence engulfing the urban areas.
The CPI National Council, in its communique, also called for an amendment to the Representation of the Peoples Act to prevent the use of religious propaganda and symbols during election campaigns rather than as a postelection positive measure through election petitions.
The CPI also reiterated its stand against religion being brought to the political plane and said that sadhus and Imams should keep away from politics and remain in their own religious spheres.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 12, 1993
