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`Disallow yatra in Gujarat'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JUNE 21. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) secretary and member of Parliament, E. Ahamed, has urged the Prime Minister to ensure that permission is not granted to the BJP to take out the proposed `Gaurav Rath Yatra' in Gujarat as it could provoke more violence against the minority community in the State.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Mr. Ahamed said the situation was far from normal in most of the violence-affected parts. The `Gaurav Rath Yatra' at such a time, he noted, would further vitiate the atmosphere.

Mr. Ahamed made this appeal to Mr. Vajpayee after visiting Ahmedabad on Thursday, his third visit after violence broke out in the State in March.

He also gave an overview of the prevailing situation in his letter.

According to the IUML secretary, relief work was far from satisfactory. Over 55,000 victims continued to live in relief camps across the State with at least 40,000 of them living in Ahmedabad city alone.

He said there was still considerable reluctance among the refugees to return home because of the hostile attitude of the Sangh Parivar.

Those who have returned, he said, did so under compulsion because of the State's decision to close down some of the relief camps.

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