Riots reflect Govt bias: Deshmukh

In a statement to the press he informed that a high level Congress delegation had already submitted a memorandum listing instances clearly illustrating the anti-Dalit and backward class policy pursued by the Sena-BJP government in the last two-and-a-half years.

He alleged that in addition to the anti-Dalit stand the alliance leaders also instigated violence at many places in the State. Never before in the history of the State Government have leaders of the ruling party faced such serious charges of direct involvement in violence, he said, referring to attack on the official residence of the Leaders of Opposition.

In support of his allegations, he cited Shiv Sena Supremo Balasaheb Thackeray’s recent statement justifying the attack on Opposition leaders.The very assurance given by Thackeray to Maharashtra Governor Dr P C Alexander and the Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta that there would be no more such incidents of attacks on Opposition leaders, is an admittance of the fact that Sena workers were involved in instigating similar incidents reported from all over the State in last two and a half years, he argued.Deshmukh, who dubbed the Sena Chief as an`extra-constitutional authority’, demanded that the `inefficient and thoroughly incompetent’ puppet alliance government be dismissed and the Sena Chief be booked under the National Security Act.

The MPCC President in a joint meeting of office bearers of Nagpur city and District Congress Committees at Devadia Bhavan, chastised the city committee office bearers for failing in their duty to rush to the help of Dalits during the three-day flare up.

The Committees later passed resolutions supporting the MPCC demand for dismissal of the State Government and decided to organise in protest dharnas on July 21. Congress leaders Sudhakar Deshmukh, Ramesh Gupta,MLC, S Q Zama, Hukumchand Amdhare, Baburao Zade were present at press conference.

Deshmukh visited the violence hit areas of north Nagpur to console the members of those killed in police firing and also paid a visit to Mayo Hospital where the injured are admitted. He was highly critical of the `indifferent’ State administration for ill-treating the victims. The ex-gratia amount announced by the Chief Minister has not yet been paid to the affected families, he said. The Congress leader also supported the demand to provide government jobs on compassionate ground to at least one dependent of each victim of police firing.

RPI chief demands CBI probe

Republican Party of India (RPI) president RS Gavai demanded the prosecution of the police officials who ordered the Mumbai firing which killed 10 persons, and a CBI probe into the desecration of Ambedkar’s statue at Ghatkopar. He also called for prosecuting the officials behind the Nagpur firing.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Gavai opposed the Maharashtra Government’s decision to constitute a judicial inquiry. “It is time-consuming and we don’t want it,” Gavai said. Describing the killings as “brutal murder”, Gavai alleged the police had resorted to 50 rounds of firing without any provocation and without first resorting to tear gas or lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. “It seems that the police resorted to firing deliberately to kill people,” he said.

The RPI leader, citing several instances of police excesses, alleged a total collapse of the law and order situation in the State, particularly in Mumbai, Kolhapur, Purna, Parvani, Akola, Karanja, Nagpur and Amravati, following the firing. He demanded the ouster of the alliance Government. He dismissed as baseless reported statement by senior RPI leader Raja Dhale that members of his own party were behind the desecration of the Ambedkar statue. Gavai was at pains to refute allegations that senior RPI leaders kept away from the riot-affected areas after the attack on Ramdas Athawale. The RPI leader, who had come here early Friday morning, met families of the riot-victims and also visited the injured.