People's Democracy

  PB Condemns Attack On Laloo

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on April 22, 2005.

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the attack on the railway minster, Laloo Prasad Yadav when he was visiting the accident site in Gujarat.

It is reprehensible that instead of concentrating energies in rescue operations and providing relief to the injured in the accident, the Narendra Modi administration in the state was more preoccupied in organising this assault against the railway minister. The obvious provocation has been the railway minister's initiative at making public the Banerjee Committee report on the nature of the fire at Godhra in 2002.

The situation in Gujarat continues to be tense. Even three years after the carnage over 61,000 Muslim families continue to remain displaced. The minorities continue to suffer harassment and high degree of insecurity. No action against the culprits have been taken so far, witnesses continue to be intimidated and harassed. The plight of the minorities in Gujarat continues to be a source of shame in secular India.

Under these circumstances, the CPI(M) Polit Bureau calls upon the UPA government to take necessary action to ensure that the state of Gujarat functions in conformity with the secular, democratic principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution. (INN)