PM orders probe into 'burning' of Quran

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 13. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, has ordered an inquiry into the alleged burning of a copy of the Holy Quran here last week.

The probe, to be conducted by the Union Home Ministry, would be completed within a day or so, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

The Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani, would take the House into confidence once the inquiry was completed, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr. Pramod Mahajan, said while replying to the concerns expressed by the members on the issue.

The decision to hold the inquiry was also conveyed to the senior Muslim religious and political leaders who had met the Prime Minister, according to official sources.

In response to the concern of Mr. G. M. Banatwala of the Muslim League, Mr. Mahajan appealed to political parties not to make statements which could hurt communal sentiments.

Earlier, a delegation of prominent Muslim leaders met the Prime Minister and demanded strict action against those who had allegedly burnt copies of the Holy Quran during a demonstration here recently.

The 16-member delegation said the incident had not only ``tarnished the image of the secular face of the country but also helped the nefarious designs of the agencies who are all out to create large scale disturbances in the country.''

They alleged a ``cover-up'' by government agencies and charged that no action had been taken against the culprits even a week after the incident.

Stating that it was ``an extremely volatile issue'', the delegation feared it could pose a law and order problem in the country.

The delegation included the Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Maulana Obaidullah Khan Azmi, MP, and representatives of the Milli Council, the Muslim Personal Law Board, the Jamaat-e-Islami-e-Hind and the Jamaat-e-Ahle Hadees.

The leaders urged the Prime Minister to take strict action against the activists of the Bajrang Dal, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for spreading communal hatred and vitiating the atmosphere in the country.

Mr. Vajpayee was accompanied by the Home Secretary, Mr. Kamal Pande, and the Delhi Police Commissioner, Mr. Ajay Raj Sharma.

Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, described as ``baseless'' reports that VHP activists were involved in the incident.

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