By M. Reyaz, TwoCircles.net
They demand high level enquiry and adequate compensation.
Dhule, Maharashtra: Deputy Mayor of Dhule, Haji Shawwal and 14 other Muslim councilors of Dhule Municipal Corporation (DMC) have threatened to resign from their posts if a high level enquiry into the recent riot is not conducted and victims of riots, particularly those families who lost their kin are not adequately compensated.
Speaking to TCN, Haji Shawwal expressed his desperation, “What other options are we left with?”
He added, “So many innocent people have lost their lives and got injured. Still no compensation has been announced; neither those who lost lives or who have been injured.”
Of the 15 people who have threatened to resign, 2 are from the Congress Party and 3 others from the NCP. The Deputy Mayor and others are independent candidates who are in alliance with the NCP.
Three days ago a Deputy Tahsildar Abdul Halim Ansari had publicly announced that he would not be reporting to his duty following his son’s death in the police firing, who had gone to market to buy weekly stock of vegetables for their shop.
Meanwhile, Kishore Wagh, the owner of the Maratha Mutton shops — the eatery where the brawl had begun — was arrested on Thursday.
Further, state’s Director General of Police (Law and Order) Javed Ahmed, who was appointed to file an enquiry report, is expected to submit his report today evening.
Maharashtra Minority Commission Chief Munaf Hakeem and Minister of Minority Development Department Arif Naseem Khan too have demanded a high level enquiry in the killing.
On January 6, as the scuffle between two communities began over eatery bill, leading to stone pelting from both sides, injuring over 100 people, including several police personnel, they opened fire. What is interesting, however, is that while mob from both sides were engaged in stone pelting, but bullets were fired only on Muslims.
Social activist Irfan Engineer said, “Goons on both sides mobilized and targeted innocents. However, in their action, the police targeted only Muslims and fired above chest.”
So far six people have died and several others are still in hospitals. Many people who were hit by bullets were not even part of the mob.
Although curfew is still on in the affected Macchibazar area, for the Friday prayer it was relaxed from 12 to 3 pm.
The government has now appointed a special CID team to investigate for investigation.
Related:
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