September 19, 2002

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The arbitrary transfer of top state Intelligence  Bureau officials of Gujarat by Chief Minister Narendra Modi, for pointing out the inflammatory character of his speeches, shows the scant respect with which the BJP holds the  constitutional authority and  rule of law.  The reports of these officials confirm that Modi did say that Muslims believe in "we five and our  twenty-five philosophy" and termed relief camps for riot victims as "baby production centres".  These reports have admitted the complicity of VHP and  Bajrang Dal in communal riots.  These reports also contradict Modi's claim that 98 per cent of Gujarat  is peaceful and point out that 154 out of 182 constituencies in Gujarat were riot-affected. Shree Kumar, a senior Intelligence Officer, gave an objective report on the situation in Gujarat to the Election Commission which helped it to understand the ground  realities in Gujarat.

The Vajpayee government, instead of intervening in the situation to protect communal harmony in the state, is shamelessly justifying the State-sponsored  genocide of Muslims in Gujarat.

It is surprising that the non-BJP partners  of the NDA are keeping mum even while the BJP is seeking to disrupt the unity of the country. If these parties do not rise to the occasion and come forward to check the rising tide of  communalism and fundamentalism, their secular credentials will be in doubt. 

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M), therefore, appeals to all the secular and patriotic forces in the country to realise the gravity of situation created by the highly anti-Muslim provocative statements made by Narendra Modi, VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders and come out resolutely against the threat to India's secular traditions and national integrity.