Congress warned against roping in tainted leaders
Human rights activists have raised objection to the inclusion of the leaders who were allegedly part of the Gujarat carnage into the Congress.
By TNN |
AHMEDABAD: Even as the BJP dissidents from Gujarat have given indications of their willingness to join the Congress ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections, human rights activists who have been up in arms against the ruling BJP since the 2002 communal riots in the state, have raised objection to the inclusion of the leaders who were allegedly part of the carnage into the Congress.
In the eye of storm is BJP’s suspended MLA Gordhan Zadaphia, who was then the state home minister when communal riots rocked Gujarat in 2002.
In a letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, several human rights activists, including Teesta Setalvad, Vijay Tendulkar, Prasad Chacko, Fr Cedric Prakash, Alyque Padamsee and Rahul Bose, have expressed shock and concern over Congress’ approach to the BJP dissidents. “Is the Congress willing to admit mass murderers? What a cynical Eid gift for India’s largest minority!” the letter states.
Zadaphia has already initiated dialogues with the central Congress leadership for his inclusion in the party. Along with him, are nine others who are awaiting a green signal from the party leadership. Even as the state Congress has been holding talks with the rebels, who broke off from the BJP over their differences with chief minister Narendra Modi, the central leadership has constituted a three-member committee comprising Hari Prasad, Prithviraj Chauhan and V Ravi to hold negotiations with them.
In the letter, the human rights activists have stated: “Some senior Congressmen are attempting to win Gujarat elections by not standing for any Congress ideology, and are joining hands with those who served Narendra Modi in 2002 during the communal carnage.” They have expressed concern over some Congress leaders’ open support for Zadaphia, who was allegedly at the forefront of the mass carnage against minorities in Ahmedabad.
Fr Prakash said, “The Congress will lose its credibility if it does so and hence, the party must distance itself from tainted leaders.”
Meanwhile, a senior party leader said, “All aspects of the proposal are being considered. We will join hands only with those leaders whose records are clean, so that our decision does not backfire on us.”
In the eye of storm is BJP’s suspended MLA Gordhan Zadaphia, who was then the state home minister when communal riots rocked Gujarat in 2002.
In a letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, several human rights activists, including Teesta Setalvad, Vijay Tendulkar, Prasad Chacko, Fr Cedric Prakash, Alyque Padamsee and Rahul Bose, have expressed shock and concern over Congress’ approach to the BJP dissidents. “Is the Congress willing to admit mass murderers? What a cynical Eid gift for India’s largest minority!” the letter states.
Zadaphia has already initiated dialogues with the central Congress leadership for his inclusion in the party. Along with him, are nine others who are awaiting a green signal from the party leadership. Even as the state Congress has been holding talks with the rebels, who broke off from the BJP over their differences with chief minister Narendra Modi, the central leadership has constituted a three-member committee comprising Hari Prasad, Prithviraj Chauhan and V Ravi to hold negotiations with them.
In the letter, the human rights activists have stated: “Some senior Congressmen are attempting to win Gujarat elections by not standing for any Congress ideology, and are joining hands with those who served Narendra Modi in 2002 during the communal carnage.” They have expressed concern over some Congress leaders’ open support for Zadaphia, who was allegedly at the forefront of the mass carnage against minorities in Ahmedabad.
Fr Prakash said, “The Congress will lose its credibility if it does so and hence, the party must distance itself from tainted leaders.”
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Meanwhile, a senior party leader said, “All aspects of the proposal are being considered. We will join hands only with those leaders whose records are clean, so that our decision does not backfire on us.”
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