Congress demands judicial probe in MP violence

Bhopal, July 05: Madhya Pradesh's opposition Congress today demanded a judicial probe into the violent incidents during VHP-sponsored shutdown in the BJP-ruled state, alleging the violence was sponsored by the state government. The bandh called yesterday to protest revocation of transfer of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board in Jammu and Kashmir was supported by BJP. "The violence was sponsored by the state government as police force was a mute spectator during the clashes in Indore where six people have been killed so far," state Congress President Suresh Pachouri told reporters here. "We demand from the Governor to institute a probe by a sitting judge of the High Court into the violent incidents", he said. He said the bandh supporters had "forced" a jeweller to immolate himself as he was protesting forced closure of shops by activists of saffron outfits. "We demand from the Governor to take constitutional actions (like invoking Article 356) in the state as the law and order situation was out of control. Even top officials in Indore have admitted that situation was not under control in the city," the Congress leader said. "Due to pressure from the government, the (Indore) administration failed in executing its constitutional duties", Pachauri alleged. Pachouri said Chouhan does not have any moral right to remain in power and should immediately step down. State Congress Campaign Committee Chairman Ajay Singh said the party will raise the issue in the assembly's monsoon session to corner the BJP government over the death of innocent persons. The Leader of the Opposition Jamuna Devi demanded a murder case be registered against those organisations which had called the shutdown. Meanwhile, CPI(M), in a statement here, demanded deployment of army in violence-hit Indore to prevent further flare-up. Bureau Report

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Any probe would trace the cause of the riots to the issue of Amarnath land transfer and would point to Congress handling of the issue as at the root of it all. - K.Venugopal - Mumbai

True, we need a Judicial probe into the incident ASAP along with a probe into the K and J violence. PDP,NC,ISI, INC and Hurriyat leaders needs to be first probed. For impartial probe, MP probe must be done in UP or Maharastra and J and K probe must be done in neighboring HP or Gujarat. All the Presidents of the parties must be summoned for their part, be it BJP, INC,PDP,NC...still better arrest the Party Presidents and suspected functionaries, so that they dont tamper with evidence. - Gurunath Prakash - Hyderabad