NEW DELHI: The Parliamentary Standing Committee scrutinising the Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005, has raised at least half a dozen "queries." This has stalled the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government's plan to introduce the legislation in the monsoon session.

Well-placed sources said most of the queries related to the Centre's right over exercising jurisdiction in maintaining law and order and a peaceful communal atmosphere, which comes under the purview of the State Governments. However, Section 55 of the draft Bill, which empowers the Centre to send forces to communally disturbed areas, remains the bone of contention.

Almost all political parties, including the Left ones, have expressed reservation on the inclusion of this provision.

Reply awaited

Sources in the Home Ministry said the "queries" had been forwarded to the Law Ministry, and a reply was awaited. The Standing Committee is headed by Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha member Sushma Swaraj.

Section 55 empowers the Centre to issue a notification declaring any area within a State as a "communally disturbed area." The deployment of armed forces can also be done by the Centre on a request from the State Government.

In its Common Minimum Programme, the Congress-led UPA Government promised to bring in legislation to safeguard communal harmony. Therefore Home Minister Shivraj Patil was eager to ensure that the draft bill received the Standing Committee's approval. It is learnt that he asked Home Secretary Vinod Kumar Duggal to meet Ms. Swaraj last week.

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee was entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating with parties to send in their suggestions on the Bill. However, several parties, including the Left, favoured an all-party meeting to discuss the draft bill.

In the backdrop of the Gujarat riots, the UPA Government was pushing for a legislation that would enable the Centre to prevent communal situations from taking an ugly turn. The Gujarat riots also came under focus at the National Integration Council (NIC) meeting held in August last year.

The NIC meeting witnessed speakers from the Left parties, led by CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat, focussing on the Gujarat violence.

"It was the Centre's responsibility to see justice done to the victims of the post-Godhra communal riots as normal police and judicial procedures were found wanting in Gujarat. It would be unwise to ignore the meaning of such mass violence with State sponsorship for the future of communal harmony and national unity," Mr. Karat said.

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