City calm, chaos in state assembly

The Congress staged a walkout from the Legislative Assembly on Monday over the issue of communal riots in Ahmedabad, alleging that Bajrang Dal members were behind the riots. Shouting slogans that the Keshubhai Patel government had failed to protect minorities, the Congress and Independent members also demanded the ouster of the BJP government.

Bedlam prevailed in House during the discussion on communal riots as the members of both the parties traded defamatory allegations despite requests from the deputy speaker Upendra Trivedi and minister of state for home Haren Pandya to stay away from using defamatory language and taking names of any community.

Mr. Pandya warned that such allegations in the Assembly can affect peace in Ahmedabad. Trouble started during the Zero Hour when Congress MLA from Kalupur, Mr. Farooq Sheikh, said that Bajrang Dal was responsible for the riots.
The BJP members were on their toes and protested at the allegation. The Congress members opposed them.

Independent MLA from Jamalpur, Usmangani Devidiwala also traded allegations against the BJP government and demanded that the government should give compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the family of riot victims.

Former health minister Ashok Bhatt alleged that this riots were on the same pattern of earlier ones. He said that he has information that members of the Latif gang and Islamic fundamentalists were behind the riots.

Mr. Goradhan Jhadafiya alleged that Students Islamic Movement of India was responsible for riots and demanded that action should be taken against them.

Talking about the incident, Mr. Haren Pandya in his reply to the House said that anti-social elements were involved in the incident in which not only Muslims, but also Hindu vendors were also beaten up on August 21. The police is inquiring the matter and those found guilty would be punished, he added.

He said that the government is monitoring the situation since the past three days. They have deployed 18 companies of SRP, Rapid Action Force and Police in the troubled areas of the city, 45 people have been arrested in this connection and 24 rounds of firing were done to bring the situation under control.

Two people have died in the riots and 15 injured, including seven policemen, he further said. He also announced relief of Rs 50,000 to the family of victims, who died in the riots from the chief minister’s relief fund. However, the Congress members were not satisfied by it.

Chief minister Keshubhai Patel trying to pacify the aggrieved members said that relief money would be increased after the inquiry of the case. However, Muslim members of the House came to the well and started shouting slogans. Later, they along with the Congress MLAs staged a walkout.

Earlier, Mr. Sheikh rushed to the well in protest against the partisan attitude of the police towards the minority community. Mr. Sheikh said the Bajrang Dal activists were allowed to go scot-free, while Dariapur reeled under the impact of curfew. Mr. Devdiwala also demanded an immediate discussion and rushed to the well.

Deputy Speaker, Upendra Trivedi, who was in the chair at the time said present rules did not allow for a discussion unless the minister concerned conceded to the request and that too only during the zero-hour.

Republished from The Asian Age