Shah must go over colossal failure: Sonia

Aditi Tandon

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 26

Congress president Sonia Gandhi today lashed out at the government for its “colossal failure” in containing Delhi violence and demanded immediate resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah.

In a rare press conference, a first in years, Gandhi flanked by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and top party leaders asked where Home Minister was since last Sunday when the first clashes broke out.

Gandhi was speaking at AICC headquarters after chairing a three-hour meeting of the Congress Working Committee, which held both the Union and Delhi governments responsible for loss of life and continuing violence.

The Congress chief accused the BJP and AAP dispensations of “deliberate inaction” and said inflammatory speeches by BJP leaders triggered violence.

“The CWC is of the firm opinion that what has happened in Delhi is a colossal failure of duty for which the entire responsibility must be borne by the Central Government and particularly the Home Minister and calls upon the Home Minister to tender his resignation immediately,” Gandhi, demanding Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal should have been visible on the ground.

The collective failure of the two governments has caused this great tragedy, Congress chief rued asking why nothing was done for 72 hours as Delhi burned.

Among the questions Gandhi put to the government were: where was Home Minister and what was he doing since last Sunday; where was Delhi Chief Minister and what was he doing since last Sunday; what were the reports given by the intelligence agencies in the days immediately after the conclusion of the Delhi elections and leading up to today; what was the strength of the police force deployed on the night of Sunday when there were clear indications that violence will break out; and why were additional security forces not called immediately when it was clear that the situation was beyond the control of the Delhi Police?

The CWC passed a resolution seeking additional paramilitary forces in the Capital with Gandhi ruling out demands for Army deployment. She said paramilitary was the first step.

The meeting also resolved to petition President Ram Nath Kovind tomorrow and seek his intervention to stop violence. The plan was to meet him today but he was unavailable.

Gandhi, in another caustic reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said he had never convened a meeting of the Opposition leaders on crisis situations since assuming office in 2014.

Gandhi cited inflammatory speeches by some BJP leaders to argue that “these were intended to create an atmosphere of fear and hate”.

The CWC demanded that peace committees be formed in every mohalla and senior bureaucrats be deployed district-wise to address the challenges of administration.

All senior Congress leaders attended the CWC meeting, barring former party chief Rahul Gandhi who is abroad.

Bq

They backed violence in ’84

“Those whose hands are tainted with the bloods of innocent Sikhs in 1984 are now talking about checking the violence… they themselves had supported the violence”

Prakash Javadekar, union minister