By Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: Opposition parties on Friday expressed strong outraged and anguished over the failure of the Parliament to discuss ghastly communal violence in North East Delhi which claimed so far 53 lives and destruction of properties worth crore. They said it was even more scandalous in the light of the fact that the British House of Commons has already discussed the Delhi riots. They also flayed presiding officers of the two Houses for not allowing the discussion.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the failure to discuss such a “humongous” tragedy with law and order under the charge of the Union Government is shameful.
The last week’s communal violence has officially cost 53 lives so far and the numbers continue to grow. It is also not clear what will be the fate of the large number of missing people.
The CPI (M) said the failure of the Parliament is particularly scandalous in the light of the fact that the British House of Commons has discussed this violence three days back.
“It is a matter of deep regret that the status of our sovereign Parliament during the 70 years as a proud Parliamentary democracy has never faced such a state of helplessness, using the Holi festival as the excuse to refuse urgency for being accountable to the legislature’, the party added.
The party also criticized the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabah speakers.
“It is also shameful that the government has passed the buck onto the presiding officers of the two houses to allow matters to come to this pass. We believe that this is not acceptable to the people of a functioning democracy”.
Main opposition Congress party also said “this is not democracy, this is utter dictatorship”.
Reacting on the suspension of seven party MPs from Lok Sabha, Party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said anybody, who sought accountability of the Prime Minister and BJP Government on why 52 people died in Delhi riots, they are being abused.
“Anybody, seeks accountability of Prime Minister and BJP Government on why 52 people died in Delhi riots, why property worth a few thousand crores was gutted and set on fire, why did Delhi Police remain a mute spectator and why should the Home Minister not be sacked, then the answer is abuse or shoot people” he added.
He said the PM must apologize to the nation for Delhi riots. Government
“We seriously condemn this attitude of the Prime Minister and the BJP and request the Prime Minister to come forward and apologize to the nation and hold his Home Minister and his Government accountable for Delhi riots.”
On suspension of 7 Congress MPs for the current session of the Parliament, Surjewala said what was their crime?
He said they were only demanding a discussion on Delhi riots. They were questioning the role of the Home Minister or a deliberate conspiracy which is behind the Delhi riots.
“Why can’t the Prime Ministers and BJP Government answer it?”
Joining the issue with the opposition, the Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), also expressed deep anguish over the adamant stand of the Speaker on the last week’s gruesome violence in Delhi.
The SDPI National President M.K. Faizy said the speaker has suspended Congress MPs for demanding an immediate discussion on riots. He said it was unfortunate even the PM and the HM did not condemn the violence and condole the victim’s families.
“The central government is not even willing to make a statement on the pre-mediated communal violence and vandalism perpetrated in the capital city by the Hindutva-inspired mob under the alleged protection of police while it has been issuing statement after statement in connection with Coronavirus which has not killed a single Indian.”
Since the PM has already declared that he will not celebrate Holi to stand with the victims of Corona virus elsewhere, the Speaker is obliged to let the people know the logic of post-Holi discussion about a more hazardous massacre that led to the death of scores of Indians under his nose, Faizy asked.
Referring to the discussion in British Parliament, SDPI leader said a host of nations as well the United Nations expressed their anguish over the Delhi carnage but the PM and the HM still adapted a “criminal silence” on the violence.
He pointed out that the BJP hate speech makers who triggered the violence are sitting scot-free in the Parliament indicates the complicity of the ruling party in the violence.
“Democracy in the country is breathing its last breath. Thanks to Modi-Shah combine, the Supreme Court, Army CBI and all other institutions are kowtowing to the tyrannical rulers,” he added.
