M A I N   N E W S

Attacks on minorities echo in LS
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, May 5 — The issue of the recent activities of the RSS concerning the Sikhs and attacks against the minorities today led to a verbal duel between the Opposition and the BJP members in the Lok Sabha.

The government on the other hand assured the House that it was the constitutional duty to protect the minorities and said even the Minorities Commission report on such attacks did not suggest any ‘majority-minority string’.

The issue was raised during zero hour by Congress MP, Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar who said the RSS through the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat was distributing literature which was against the community and affecting religious harmony in the state.

Mr Brar said that the Human Resource Development Ministry had funded Rs 17 crore for a project and the sangat had brought out a pamphlet through which they were trying to create a wedge.

BJP MPs, Mr Madan Lal Khurana and Mr Vijay Goel were up on their feet protesting that such remarks were aimed at disturbing peace in the state.

Thereafter, Congress MPs, Mr Ramesh Chennithala and Mr A C Jose raised the issue of attacks against the minorities and referred to a report of attack on Christians in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, yesterday. Mr Suresh Kurup of the CPM and Mr P C Thomas of the Congress-M also raised the matter while members of the Shiv Sena and the BJP protested.

Meanwhile, amid the protests the former Prime Minister, Mr Chandra Shekhar intervened and urged the government to make its position clear as otherwise an impression was gaining ground that the government had failed to protect the minorities.

Mr Chandra Shekhar also referred to the issue of activities of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat as raised by Mr Brar and said that a delegation of the Sikhs had met him stating that a new interpretation of Guru Granth Sahib was being done.

He said if these reports were rumours then they should be denied and if true, then some solution should be found and urged the government to clarify.

Clarifying, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Pramod Mahajan said the Minorities Commission report on the attacks on the minorities did not suggest” any majority-minority string’ in many of the incidents it investigated.

He said in many cases the incidents were actually “atrocities against citizens of the country and not aimed at minorities” and cited the Minorities Commission report that the latter did not agree with the allegations that many of the attacks were against the minorities.

The Congress Chief Whip, Mr Priyaranjan Dasmunshi demanded that the report of the Minorities Commission be tabled in the House.