Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) The Congress Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “misleading the nation” on the proposed legislation on communal violence prevention, saying that a party with “communal agenda” is going to be naturally worried by such a bill.

“We are shocked at the BJP’s reaction. Firstly, nothing has been finalised. Opinions are being sought from diverse sections. The BJP is trying to further its communal agenda. It is trying to do so by pre-emptive strike and debunking a draft bill under discussion,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said here.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley said Thursday that provisions of the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011, intrude into the domain of the state, damage a federal polity and create an imbalance in inter-community relationship.

The draft bill has been put in public domain for suggestions by the National Advisory Council.

Criticising the BJP, Singhvi said: “The country knows which political party has communal agenda from its birth, continues to be bound by umbilical chord of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and carries the shame of Gujarat, Karnataka and Babri with ease, sometimes with pride.”

“It is going to be naturally worried, that’s why the pre-emptive strike,” he said.

Accusing the BJP of rumour-mongering and pernicious propaganda, Singhvi said only one of the 60 clauses in the draft bill gives central government power of intervention in case of communal disturbance and this provision too was hedged in by three cumulative conditions such as waiting for state government to take action.

“What is the harm in (the central government) having residual power. Secularism is part of basic structure of this country,” he said.

Singhvi also said communal violence prevention bill was a special act focused at inspiring confidence in minorities, whether linguistic or religious, in every state.

“If minority community indulges in violence, the IPC (Indian Penal Code) applies very strongly,” he said.

Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said Thursday that the government was determined to take forward the communal violence prevention bill despite objections from the BJP.

Jaitley, leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had alleged the legislation was “bound to be misused” as it says that members of the majority community are always at fault during riots.

“I have no doubt that once this law is implemented with the intention with which it is being drafted, it will create disharmony in the inter-community relations in India. It is a law fraught with dangerous consequences. It is bound to be misused,” Jaitley said in an analysis of the draft bill issued by the party.