Party Demands from the President to Ensure effective intervention under Article 355 of the Indian Constitution

 New Delhi: Large number of people – from CPI(ML) activists to workers, youths, students, women and several others – sat on a dharna at Jantar Mantar protesting against the Uttar Pradesh Govt’s extremely insensitive action of bulldozing of the relief camps meant for riot survivors of Muzaffarnagar thus forcefully evicting them. The Party sent a demand letter to the President of India asking him to issue an advisory directing the Central Govt under Article 355 to intervene for ensuring relief, rehabilitation and justice to the riot victims.

The dharna emphatically raised the demand that the UP Govt’s attempts to shut down the relief camps be prevented and every riot-hit family be guaranteed security, relief materials and proper rehabilitation. Acting on Article 355, all those named in hundreds of FIRs for rioting, raping and killing be immediately arrested and a SC guided SIT be instituted to look into all the reported cases of Muzaffarnagar riots. Dharna also demanded for the passage of Communal Violence Bill in the upcoming session of the Parliament.

Students from all the universities of Delhi participated in this dharna in significant numbers. Organisation of the Ex-AMU students in Delhi-NCR also participated in this dharna. CPI(ML) Politburo member Comrade Swapan Mukherjee, RYA leader Aslam Khan, AISA leaders Shweta, Farhan, JNUSU President Akbar Chaudhary, JNUSU Jt.Secy. Sarfaraj Ahmed, AMU Old Boys’ Association Delhi-NCR President Irshad Ahmad, GS Muddassir Hayat andtreasurer Shamsad Khan among others spoke at the dharna. The protest dharna was conducted by Comrade Ravi Rai, RYA General Secretary.

Uttar Pradesh: Dharna and demonstrations were held at Lucknow and Robertsganj. Party activists from Sitapur, Faizabad, and Ambedkarnagar participated in the Lucknow dharna. Public meeting was held at Chandauli in Mughalsarai after a procession. At Mirzapur a demonstration was held. In Ghazipur a march was taken out before the dharna. In Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, and Deoria processions were held before culminating into protest meetings. Dharna was held at district HQs of Mau, Ballia, Bhadohi, Jalaun, and Muradabad. In Lakhimpur-Khiri, dharna was held at two centres, district HQ and Palia tehsil. Programmes were held at several other places.

The protest dharnas sent a demand letter addressed to the President of India through the District Magistrate or Collector. In Mathura too a party delegation handed over a demand letter to the DM.

The demand letters to the President mentioned that the SP Govt in Uttar Pradesh has failed in preventing the riots and upholding its duty towards the victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots. Therefore the Centre should intervene under Article 355 and prevent the closure of the relief camps apart from other measures. Party’s State and district leaders led the protests.

Tamilnadu: In TN, protests have followed fund raising for the riot victims. Protests were held in Chennai, led by Comrade Munuswamy and main speaker was Party’s Politburo member Comrade Kumaraswamy. RYA leader Comrade Bharathi also addressed the protest.

At Mayiladuthurai several party members, people and Muslim organisations participated in the protest. Comrade TKS Janardhanan conducted the programme. Here the protest was also addressed by district secretary of CPI Comrade Srinivasan, Mr. Jubair, dist president of TMMK, dist secretary of MMK Mr. Muzafuddin, Mr. Jafar Ali on behalf of Tauheed Jamath apart from CPI(ML) leaders including Comrade Ilangovan.

At Pudukottai a demonstration was held led by Comrade Kalai Selvan and CPI(ML) district secretary Comrade Asai Thambi. Demonstrations were held in Rasipuram led by Comrade Velmurugan and participated by TMMK leaders Raja and Bakhruddin; and Kumarapalyam in Namakkal district was led by Comrade K Govindaraj and KR Kumaraswamy; Vilupuram Collectorate- addressed by Comrade Venkatesan, district secretary of CPI(ML); at Karanodai in Thiruvellore district – addressed by Comrade Janakiraman, DS, apart from AISA leaders.

Demonstration was also held at Coimbatore led by Comrade Balasubraminian, district secretary, and RYA and AICCTU leaders also spoke at the protest.

Uttarakhand: At Srinagar in Grhwal, CPI(ML) and AISA activists burnt an effigy of the Samajwadi Party Govt of Uttar Pradesh. Here the protest was addressed by party leader Comrade Indresh Maikhuri. He accused the SP and BJP of colluding in Muzaffarnagar riots. The protest vehemently condemned the SP for its utter insensitiveness towards the riot victims.

At Rudrapur, CPI(ML) leaders and AISA activists led by district secretary Comrade KK Bora and AISA leaders Lalit Matiyali, Kavita Verma among others handed over a demand letter for President to the DM. At Haldwani too the demand letter to be sent to the President was presented to the SDM by Nainital district secretary Comrade Kailash Pandey and Party leader BS Jangi. In Bhikiyasaind the letter was given to the SDM by Comrade Anand Negi.

2 January 2014

 

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