Punjab: Naresh Gujral puts Delhi Police in dock, seeks impartial probe

JALANDHAR: Not withstanding Union home minister Amit Shah patting Delhi Police's back for controlling the recent riots in national capital, Shiromani Akali Dal MP Naresh Gujral while speaking on the issue in Rajya Sabha on Thursday said response of the force was inadequate "to say the least".
Saying that February 23 was a dark day in the history of Delhi, Gujral said armed hooligans attacked innocent Hindus and Muslims. "However, the police response was inadequate to say the least. This reminded me of 1984, when an orgy of violence was unleashed by mobs led by Congress leaders, who, in three horrible days and nights, massacred nearly 3,000 innocent people in Delhi. It is still a mystery who started it and from where so many goondas entered. Sir, I feel only am impartial and a transparent inquiry commission can reveal the truth," he said.
"We must never allow 1984 to be repeated, when it took ages to offer meagre compensation to victims and perpetrators have still not been punished 35 years later," he said.
"We must ensure that all the culprits, irrespective of their party line or religious line, must be punished immediately," he argued while adding that adequate compensation should be released to the victims at the earliest.
Gujral also held that violence in the capital was a matter of shame and had tarnished the image of the country internationally. He held that the country required foreign direct investment but that could not happen when there was strife on streets.
He argued that values preached by the Gurus must come to the centre stage.
He also said there were fears in the minds of Muslims about Citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Register of Citizenship and National Population Register while adding "I request the government to take immediate steps to reassure that their fears are unfounded."
Mentioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan 'sabka saath sabka vishwaas', he said, "Great statesmen and leaders always remain flexible and responsive. I beseech the home minster to repeat again and again so that all minorities in the country trust the government and message goes among them that their future is safe in the hands of this government."