Haryana Congress MLA urges action against harassment of minorities

Ravi S Singh

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New Delhi, April 15

Congress MLA from Nuh in Haryana and former minister in state Aftab Ahmed met National Commission for Minorities’ Chairperson Iqbal Singh Lalpura and urged him to take action against anti-social elements for harassing members of minorities across the country.

Ahmed, who is also Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the Haryana Assembly, drew attention to the “design of communal forces to intimidate the minorities in the garb of celebrations on the occasion of Ram Navami festival across India on April 10”.

In a memorandum to the Commission, he named states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar where alleged incidents of violence against the minorities took place on Ram Navami.

With regard to Madhya Pradesh, his reference was to the violence in Khargone.

However, there have been disputing reports of the cause and perpetrators of the violence with claims and counterclaims in the matter.

Ahmed also drew attention of the Commission to earlier incidents of violence against minorities in Karnataka.

“…fundamental rights of the citizens to live peacefully in their houses are also being threatened by the authorities. Bulldozers are being used to destroy their homes without verifying any facts or giving any notice,” Ahmed said in the memorandum with regard to MP government’s demolition of houses and shops belonging to minorities in Khargone.

He urged the Commission to intervene against the action of the MP government.

However, the MP government says that the houses demolished in Khargone are the ones from which miscreants’ pelted stones on Ram Navami procession. Also, it maintains that these constructions were illegal.