Patna, January 20
Ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar, RJD supremo Laloo Prasad today sought to make the U.C. Banerjee Committe report on Godhra a major poll plank and targeted the Sangh Parivar and BJP for the post-Godhra riots even as JD(U) called for prohibiting the use of the report by political parties during elections.“It is now fully established that Muslims were not involved in the Godhra incident and the fire took place from within the coach without use of any explosive from outside,” Prasad said waving copies of the committee’s report at election rallies in Belaganj and near Gaya.
Asserting that the report had completely ruled out “possibility of inflammable liquid having been used,” he alleged that the BJP and Sangh Parivar were “deeply involved” in the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat which claimed the lives of hundreds of people.
“Even my predecessor and senior JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar can’t be spared for what had happened after the Godhra train burning which claimed 59 lives.” “Where was he (Nitish Kumar). Why didn’t he get the Godhra incident inquired into and made the report public. Even the damaged bogie of the Sabarmati Express was sold off as scrap to destroy evidence,” the RJD leader claimed adding the railway officials who did not order an immediate probe into Godhra would not be spared,” he said.
Earlier ridiculing the NDA for seeking a ban on the use in any form of the Justice U.C. Bannerjee report on the Godhra train blaze, Laloo Prasad said the Election Commission had not not put any restriction on him in this connection.
“The commission has not put any restriction on me in this regard. I will place the report in Parliament soon,” Prasad told a Press conference after releasing his party’s manifesto for the February Assembly polls in Bihar.
“More so, I have not not said anything on my own. I have quoted the facts from the Press release issued by Justice U.C. Banerjee in New Delhi,” he remarked.
Chief Election Commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthy today warned political parties of tough action if they indulged in personal attacks and gave communal colour to the interim report of Justice U.C. Banerjee High Committee on Godhra fire.
“Do not test the patience of the Election Commission,” Mr Krishnamuthy warned, exuding confidence that the political parties would understand the language of the EC.
Mr Krishnamuthy said the EC had already clarified its position on the Godhra interim report in Ranchi, adding that the politicians would become punishable under the provisions of model code of violation if they resorted to personal attacks and gave communal colour to the interim report.
He said any administrative exercise should not be used for political purpose or whipping up communal passions and the EC would be constrained to take serious action against politicians if they did so. —
PTI
