The Hindu : M.P. Congress leader sees conspiracy behind Jhabua violence

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 25, 2004

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National

M.P. Congress leader sees conspiracy behind Jhabua violence

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, JAN. 24. The Leader of the Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Jamuna Devi, today alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the recent communal incidents at Amkhut village and the Alirajpur town of Jhabua district.

The Opposition leader, who recently returned from the Jhabua areas that were rocked by communal violence last week, told newspersons at her residence here today that neither the Chief Minister, Uma Bharti, nor the ``fundamentalist'' Hindu organisation like the Bajrang Dal or even Seva Bharti was focussing any attention to the murder of Sujata, a minor girl, who had been allegedly raped and killed inside a church premises days before the Amkhut village and Alirajpur were rocked by communal violence.

The incident, Ms. Devi alleged, was part of a conspiracy to malign the church. This was immediately followed by attacks on the church and torching of houses belonging to the minority community at Amkhut and Alirajpur.

The Christian missionaries were among the first to reach the interior areas of the tribal Jhabua district and they have been engaged in providing health care and imparting education in that area for a very long time. It is only recently that the Hindu organisations such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal have gone there and started raking up the issue of religious conversion, she said. The tribals are simple people and respect all religions.

Even the activities of the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad were mostly restricted to the tribal boys as they do not seem to be concerned about the welfare of girls, the Congress leader alleged. On the issue of religious conversion, Ms. Devi said that those raking up this issue from the BJP should come forward and specify details about the alleged conversions in the recent past.

She alleged that Gujarat was now being repeated in Madhya Pradesh to build a vote bank keeping the coming Lok Sabha elections in view. The Opposition leader also questioned the logic behind holding the next State Cabinet meeting at Maheshwar on January 28.

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