People's Democracy

(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)


Vol. XXXI

No. 44

November 04, 2007

Treat Tehelka Tapes As Evidence And Punish The Guilty

CPI(M) Demonstrates In Delhi

 

Joginder Sharma addressing the protestors at Parliament Street

 

IN THE background of the Tehelka footage broadcast on the Aaj Tak TV Channel on Gujarat carnage of 2002, the Delhi state committee of the CPI(M) held a rally in Delhi on October 26 demanding immediate action against all those named in the footage including Narendra Modi. At very short notice hundreds gathered at Jantar Mantar and marched towards Parliament House and then organised a meeting at Parliament Street.

 

The gathering was addressed by Jogendra Sharma, central committee member of the CPI(M) and Pushpinder Grewal, Delhi state secretary, K M Tiwari, Sobha Farooqui, Sidheshwar Shukla and Vijender Sharma.

 

Jogendra Sharma said that the shocking footage that was broadcast last night did not come as a surprise. It only provided audio-visual confirmation of CPI(M) stand that the Modi and his government stand culpable of engineering and participating directly in the genocidal pogrom against Muslims in Gujarat in 2002. It has further validated our stated position that the BJP government of Gujarat is actively involved in subverting the course of justice to protect the perpetrators of this unprecedented communal pogrom in the history of independent India.

 

While the NDA’s refusal to act against Modi is understandable, it seems intriguing why the Congress led UPA which claims to be secular has not formulated the law to prevent communal violence.

 

The party demanded that the Tehelka tapes should be taken as prima facie evidence and the Supreme Court take action against all the guilty without any further loss of time.

 

The rally concluded with a speech by Pushpinder Grewal warning the people not to be fooled into thinking that the ghosts of communalism have been exorcised just because the BJP is not in power at the centre. He reiterated the need to continue the democratic struggle against threat of communalism and separatism. (INN)