The Hindu : 'POTA being used selectively in Gujarat'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 27, 2003

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'POTA being used selectively in Gujarat'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 26. Civil rights activists today tried to turn the spotlight back on Gujarat to the plight of the minorities in the "communally-divided" State.

At a press conference organised by Communalism Combat and Sahmat here, Teesta Setalvad, of Communalism Combat, Prashant Bhushan, lawyer, and Kamal Mitra Chenoy, academic, said: "Gujarat should not be forgotten, for at stake is Indian democracy.

``The nation, the democratic institutions and the media should respond to the continuing tragedy, the low intensity terror and genocide that continues in Gujarat".

After the BJP's landslide victory in the Assembly elections, the Hindutva forces had become so emboldened that they were openly threatening civil rights activists fighting for justice, they said.

"The genocide in Gujarat continues through social and economic boycott of Muslims in at least 10 of the 24 districts of the State and a politically vindictive State — headed by the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi — seeks to subvert all criminal investigations in the incidents of violence last year."

According to Ms. Setalvad, the Haren Pandya murder probe was being used by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch to unleash a "reign of terror" on the minority community despite the formal handing over of the case to the CBI.

"Over the past fortnight, police officers and others directly accused of close proximity to the ruling political dispensation have been brought in and are terrorising people to extort money from them," she said adding that the Prevention Of Terrorism Act (POTA) was being selectively used.

Those who led the carnage last year against the minorities were not only walking free, but also terrorising the survivors who were trying to put their lives together, they said.

Questioning the role of the State public prosecutors in the major carnages, the speakers said national and international laws had been violated by using the truth serum on five of the 123 booked under the POTA for the Godhra incident.

The Gujarat Government was going about its "fascist agenda" with "impunity" and the Opposition had chosen to turn a Nelson's eye to the misery of a community that was being assaulted in a sustained and systematic manner, they added.

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'POTA being used selectively in Gujarat'