The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership and its chief ministers opposed the Communal Violence Bill at the National Integration Council (NIC) meeting on Saturday, terming the proposed draft dangerous, discriminatory and unconstitutional.
The party feels the proposed Bill presumes the majority community to be always responsible for riots, whereas offences committed by minority communities during civil disturbances are treated lightly.
Sushma Swaraj, leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said, “We feel the Bill harms the federal structure of the Constitution. It allows the Centre to hold all the powers. It does not consider anyone a citizen and treats a person only as belonging to a majority or a minority.”
Interestingly, even as most chief ministers of BJP-ruled states were present for the meeting, which took place on Saturday after a gap of almost three years, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi decided give it a miss, as he is miffed with the union government and Congress regarding the appointment of the Gujarat Lok Ayukta. Modi had written a letter to the prime minister, demanding to recall Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal for making the appointment.
Meanwhile, the BJP leadership and its chief ministers categorically conveyed to the union government that the proposed Bill, drafted by national advisory council, must not be presented in Parliament.
Senior leaders said if the proposed draft was passed in its present form, it would only increase the threat of communal violence. They said the Bill divided the country into majority and minority communities, which would be fatal for the country in future.
“You will write off a person as a criminal, just because he/she is born in a majority community. Similarly, you will presume a person to be a victim only because he/she is born in a minority community. The Bill is very dangerous,” added Swaraj, who was present at the meeting with Arun Jaitley, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha.
“The draft Bill presumes the majority community as unjust and the minority community the victim. But, in our country, various communities are in minority in one state and majority in another. The Bill’s provisions will go against the majority community in various states,” Swaraj said.
Congress’ Jan Jagran yatra
Party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Saturday told the Congress office bearers meet to strengthen the ‘Jan Jagran Abhiyans’ to counter BJP’s propaganda against the UPA. He has urged party workers to emphasise on opposition-ruled states and make the public aware of UPA’s flagship programmes.
