The Hindu : National : Doda massacre part of ethnic cleansing: BJP

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Tuesday, May 02, 2006

National

National

Doda massacre part of ethnic cleansing: BJP

Special Correspondent

UPA "soft policies" blamed for terrorism

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday charged the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government with adopting "soft policies" towards terrorists and terrorism, a cause identified by it as leading to the Doda massacre. The party said terrorists were trying to carry out ethnic cleansing, just as they did in the Valley when Kashmiri Pundits were driven out.

This point was made by party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar here as well as leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani, who stopped at Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh in the course of his "yatra." Mr. Advani's statement was released to the press here.

The party condemned the killing of innocent people in Doda and the violence in Vadodara. Mr. Javadekar said government officials, municipal corporation authorities and the police had talked to leaders of both the Hindu and Muslim communities in Vadodara and it was agreed that "20 small temples and 3 dargahs" that had encroached on public land would be demolished to make way for roads. The clashes occurred when one of the dargahs was being pulled down, he added.

The party's view was that the steps to demolish the religious structures were taken only after an agreement was reached. This was not a communal issue but one that related to protecting government land and the need for amenities such as roads.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil will visit Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday to make an on the spot assessment of the situation there in the aftermath of the massacre of 22 civilians. Mr. Patil will be accompanied by Home Secretary V.K. Duggal and senior officials from the Home and Defence Ministries, a Home Ministry spokesman said here on Monday. The Minister will also visit those injured in hospital.

"Barbaric"

The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) on Monday condemned the massacre of 22 civilians in Jammu's Doda district.

In a statement, the ACHR said: ``The barbaric and senseless killing is a crime against humanity and an attempt to undermine democratic processes like the conduct of elections and the Prime Minister's parleys with the moderate Hurriyat Conference.'' It urged the Central Government to take appropriate measures to bring the culprits to book.

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