M A I N   N E W S

NIC meet to discuss UP riots on Sept 23
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 14
Days after communal riots in western parts of Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will chair a specially convened meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) on September 23. It will discuss methods on how to combat communalism and casteism in the wake of Muzaffarnagar riots which claimed at least 40 lives.

It will be the first meeting of the body since September 2011 and comes just three days after senior Janata Dal United leader Sharad Yadav had asked the Prime Minister to convene a urgent meeting after reports indicated that communal polarisation was taking place in western UP.

The NIC meeting assumes significance as the country has witnessed 451 incidents of communal violence till August-end this year. The NIC is headed by the Prime Minister and the body includes all Union Ministers, Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, CMs of all states, leaders of national political parties and regional political parties, chairpersons of national commissions and eminent public figures. The NIC’s stated mandate is to combat the evils of communalism, casteism, regionalism, linguism and narrow-mindedness.

PM, Sonia may visit riot-hit area tomorrow
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 14
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are likely to visit riot-hit Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh on Monday, barely days after the anointment of Narendra Modi as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.

The expected visit is important considering the Congress has come out openly to blame Modi aide Amit Shah for the communal riots, which broke out recently.

Congress spokesperson Renuka Choudhary today reiterated that troubles in UP began with the advent of Shah on the state’s political scene. The Congress is now all set to play up the “polarising image” of Modi and Amit Shah.