The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Law sought to punish groups inciting communal violence

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2007
ePaper


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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Law sought to punish groups inciting communal violence

Staff Reporter

Deve Gowda wants Centre to convene meet on legislation

BANGALORE: The former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Tuesday urged Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to convene a meeting of representatives of State Governments to come up with a law to enable action against organisations inciting communal violence.

Speaking to presspersons here after visiting Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital where those injured in Sunday's violence have been admitted, he said such a law should be in accordance with guidelines passed by the Supreme Court. Action must be taken against such organisations irrespective of the religion they represented.

The Constitution empowered both the Centre and the State Governments to take action against those inciting violence, he said. Questioning the motives of the organisations that organised rallies in Bangalore, he asked, "Why did they choose Karnataka to hold their rallies when it could have been held elsewhere in the country? Such violence will spoil the peace and harmony in Karnataka."

He was not in favour of a judicial inquiry into the violence. "The Congress has been demanding a judicial probe, but why did they not seek a judicial probe into the Mangalore riots, which resulted in the death of two persons," he asked.

He announced that the Janata Dal (Secular) would look after the sister of the boy who was killed in police firing.

Apart from Mr. Deve Gowda, many other leaders visited those injured in the violence. They included Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan, Ameer-e-Shariath of Karnataka Hazrath Mufti Ashraf Ali, Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajasekharan and the former Minister R. Roshan Baig.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders G.N. Nagaraj, V.J.K. Nair, S.Y. Gurushanth, S. Prasanna Kumar, Maruthi Manpade and G.V. Srirama Reddy also visited the hospital.

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