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Shadow-boxing over fake encounter killings |
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B.I. Saini
The shadow-boxing between the Congress and the BJP over the fake encounter killings in Gujarat has come at a time when the nation was observing the 15th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. As in the case of the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992, the rulers in Delhi appear to be doing their best to shut their eyes to gross violation of the law of the land. The Congress, which was in power at the Centre at the time of the demolition of the mosque and which now heads the United Progressive Alliance Government, is skirting the issue of communalism, even when Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has virtually justified the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a fake encounter.
The Congress and the BJP have locked horns on the issue of the fake encounters, but the fight is not on the sad state of affairs revealed by a Chief Minister virtually justifying the killings, but on who provoked Narendra Modi to rake up the communally sensitive matter. There was a strange spectacle at the weekend of the Congress taking great pains to clarify that party president Sonia Gandhi’s allusion to “merchants of death” was not pointed at Narendra Modi, but state functionaries like senior police office V.G. Vanzara, who has been charged with Sohrabuddin Sheikh’s murder.
On its part, the BJP has attacked Sonia Gandhi for what former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani termed as her “intemperate” remark, presumably a justification for Narendra Modi’s rabble- rousing to secure Hindu votes. Advani wants the Election Commission to issue a notice to Sonia Gandhi on the lines of the notice issued to Narendra Modi for violating the Model Code of Conduct during the elections which provides that there should be no personal attacks and there should be no attempt to arouse communal passions.
Both the Congress and the BJP are concentrating on what was the provocation for Narendra Modi’s remarks. They appear to be least concerned with the substance of what the Chief Minister said. They are ignoring the fact that Narendra Modi’s defence of Sohrabuddin Sheikh’s murder is not only an outrage but amounts to virtual defiance of the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land. The Gujarat Government itself had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that Sohrabuddin Sheikh had been killed in a fake encounter and that the strongest action possible would be taken against the police officers involved. Instead of carrying out his constitutional responsibilities as Chief Minister to protect all citizens, Narendra Modi in his remarks, openly endorsed the law of the jungle.
The Congress conduct at this time is almost akin to the masterly inactivity and silence of the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, who sat twiddling his thumbs when the Babri Masjid was being demolished by a mob consisting of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena workers on Dec. 6, 1992. Significantly, leaders like L.K. Advani were at the spot and failed to take steps to stop the mob from demolishing the structure. Yet, Advani had the gumption to say later that Dec. 6, 1992 was the saddest day in his life.
Instead of fighting with the BJP on what ‘provoked’ Narendra Modi and what shifted the focus in the Gujarat Assembly elections from issues of development to the fake encounter killings, the Congress would do well not to shy away from the most important issue in the state - the communal divide - created by Narendra Modi to keep his political rivals, both within his BJP and other parties, at bay.
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