By TCN Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: A delegation of Lok Janshakti Party led by its chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and demanded removal of Rajasthan Home Minister Shanti Dhariwal and strict action against police officials for firing at Meo Muslims during the communal violence in Gopalgarh area of Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district on 14th September 2011. The clash claimed 10 lives and left several others injured.
Mr. Paswan demanded a time-bound CBI probe and also a high-level judicial inquiry into the violence and firing to bring out all the facts of the case.
“We urged the Union Home Minister to sack Shanti Dhariwal immediately because a fair probe cannot be expected till he is on the post and to book the officials responsible for the alleged brutal use of force and indiscriminate firing under Section 302” said Mr. Paswan after the meeting with Home Minister.
“The Home Minister listened to us seriously and told us that he had already spoken to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot who too gave his consent to hand over the case to CBI. He assured that whatever is needed the government will do to bring justice to the affected families” added Mr. Paswan.
He demanded a compensation of Rs. 25 lakh for kin of each of the deceased and Rs. five lakh to those injured in the violence besides a government job to one person of each of the families of the dead and injured. He said that those who are missing should also be treated as slain and their families be given the compensation.
During the meeting, some of the Meo Muslims who were part of the delegation told the Home Minister about the atrocities and cruelties done by Gujjars and police upon them during the riots. Mr. Paswan also conveyed his concern to the minister over rise of atrocities on minority and dalits in different parts of the country.
Others who were parts of the delegation include party’s Rajya Sabha MP Sabir Ali, MLA Shoaib Iqbal, Party general secretary, Abdul Khaliq and Amanatullah Khan.
A party delegation led by its National President Ram Vilas Paswan visited Gopalgarh on 25th September and inspected the affected areas and sites.