By IANS
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Monday said the central government has not taken a bold stand against the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government over the "brutal killing of innocents" in engineered encounters.
Stating that the arrests of senior police officials in the staged killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi was just the "tip of the iceberg", CPI-M leader Mohammed Salim told reporters: "There will be more skeletons in their cupboard. It is the classic example of what kind of administration and communally charged atmosphere the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) wants to have in states."
Salim pointed out that R.B. Sreekumar, a former additional director general in charge of the intelligence wing in Gujarat Police, has been quoted as saying that the staged killings had taken place whenever Chief Minister Modi faced internal trouble.
Sreekumar had told IANS in an interview that the cold-blooded murders were "an attempt to create a sympathy wave in favour of the chief minister whenever his leadership was questioned".
"Sreekumar has also said in the interview that police officials had been given clear instructions to conduct crafted encounters," Salim told reporters.
The CPI-M reiterated its demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the staged encounters in the state since 2002, when Gujarat witnessed one of the worst communal killings.
"The centre is not bold enough to take a tough stand over Gujarat. They are giving the same excuse that it was a state matter," Salim said.
The CPI-M also asked the central government not to "succumb" to the US pressure to go ahead with the Indo-US nuclear deal.
"So far we thought it was Indian National Congress that was forming our policies. But it is the US Congressmen, who are now trying frame policies for us," Salim said.
"But we hope the Indian government will not succumb to the pressures," he said.
A group of US lawmakers have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to "sever" military ties with Iran and terminate all cooperation in the energy sector before going ahead with the nuclear deal negotiations.