Pro Hindu outfits oppose draft anti communal violence bill

Pro Hindu outfits oppose draft anti communal violence bill

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 26: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal organized a joint protest against the draft bill to prevent communal and targeted violence in front of the DC’s office. They also publicly burned copies of the draft. 

In his protest address, M. B. Puranik, the vice president of VHP, said that proposed bill, which is to come up in parliament next month, will further widen the gap between various communities and will destroy the peace and harmony that now exists. 

 

 

He further said that the bill has been drafted by a National Advisory Council led by Sonia Gandhi and comprising members such as Teesta Setalvad, Harsha Mander, Anu Aga, Farah Naqvi, Sayyad Shahabuddin, and others who are biased against the majority Hindus. The bill takes it for granted that only the majority Hindus are capable of committing acts of communal violence against the minority Christians and Muslims and not vice versa. 

Stating that the bill has provisions based on premises that the majority is always aggressive and the minority is always victimized, Puranik alleged that the bill contains objectionable clauses such as extending charge sheet period to 180 days during which the suspects can be kept under custody, separate agencies to investigate and prosecute suspects, power given to this agency to confiscate properties of accused and, if proven guilty, to use this property to rehabilitate the victims, and so on. 

Speaking on the occasion, Jagadish Shenava, another VHP leader, said that the bill was biased against the majority Hindus and alleged that it was part of the UPA government’s minority appeasement policy. He pointed out that the bill will not be applicable in Jammu and Kashmir and to riots where communities other than Hindus are involved. 

Sharan Pumpwell, Jagadish Shenava, Manohar Thulajaram, Shivananda Mendon, and Gopal Kuthar were among the protestors.