Ahmed Patel writes to Rajnath Singh over communal violence in states

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat, Ahmed Patel on Sunday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, expressing concerns over the recent incidents of communal violence in different states, especially Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Telangana and other places.

In the letter, Ahmed Patel wrote, "Disturbingly this time religious processions and festivities have been used as an excuse to instigate violence between two communities."

"Festivals are a joyous time for everyone and have been celebrated with gaiety and harmony; but certain elements with vested political interests have been deliberately trying to polarise people from a certain community, by creating an environment of fear and intimidation, ahead of the 2019 General Elections," he said.

Giving examples of police's failure to arrest a Union Minister's son for inciting communal violence in Bhagalpur, he said, "The constitutional apparatus and the state machinery seem to have abdicated their duty either by choice, compulsion and coercion."

"Warning that communal violence might benefit some people politically in the short run, but will end up harming the country in the long term, the Congress leader urged the Union Home Minister to take strict action against the perpetrators and extend all help to the state governments to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future."

At least five people - four from Madhya Pradesh and one from Rajasthan - were killed after protests turned violent between Dalit groups and cops in Madhya Pradesh.

Earlier, Dalit organisations called for a nationwide bandh to protest the alleged dilution of SC\ST Act. While most protests were peaceful, accompanied with rail rokos across the state, some morchas such as the one in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut and Jharkhand's capital city Ranchi turned violent.

The government moved a review petition in the Supreme Court today. Speaking to the media, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Centre has filed a petition on the judgement by Supreme Court on the SC/ST act. "We have filed a comprehensive review petition which will be presented before the court by the senior lawyers of the government," he told the media.

However, the Supreme Court said there was no need to urgently hear the case, saying that they would look at it later.

Meanwhile, the situation remains tense in Punjab, where all shops will remain closed along with educational institutions. The CBSE has postponed all Class 12 and 10 exams scheduled for Monday in Punjab. Exams will be held as scheduled in Chandigarh and in the rest of the country.

(With ANI and PTI inputs)