The Hindu : Krishan Kant admits censure motion on Gujarat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 25, 2002

Front Page

Front Page

Krishan Kant admits censure motion on Gujarat

By Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI APRIL 24. The Union Home Minister, L. K. Advani, today rejected the demand for a probe by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court into the massacres in Gujarat, even as the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Krishan Kant, admitted a censure motion on the issue which will be discussed on May 2. The notice of the motion, admitted under Rule 170, entails voting at the end of the discussion in the Opposition-dominated House. The ruling by Mr. Kant restored normality in the Rajya Sabha which has not seen a single sitting of significance since re-assembling on April 15.

The notice of the motion, given by the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Manmohan Singh, and others, expressed deep anguish over the incidents in Gujarat and asked the Centre to effectively intervene and provide rehabilitation to those affected by the riots. The six weeks of violence had caused immense damage and loss of lives and the people of Gujarat should be protected by the Centre under Article 355 of the Constitution, it added.

Even though a substantive discussion on the Gujarat violence will take place early next month, Opposition members availed of the opportunity during Question Hour to closely question Mr. Advani on the situation in the State.

Interruptions apart, the Home Minister appeared to be charting a non-controversial course — not committing his Government to any concrete plan of action on Gujarat while professing its commitment to communal harmony — till the noted jurist, Fali S. Nariman, pointed out that Mr. Advani's explanation for rejecting a probe by a Supreme Court judge was based on fallacious reasoning. The Centre should abolish the National Commission of Minorities (NCM) if it continued to remain insensitive to its advice, observed Mr. Nariman. "And if the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) gave a similar opinion, will an apex court judge be promptly appointed,'' he wanted to know.

The Home Minister began by pointing out that "never in history has a parallel probe been ordered by the Central Government,'' but abruptly changed direction when Mr. Nariman sought to correct this assessment. Mr. Advani's defence now was that a parallel probe by the Centre would set a wrong precedent. "Once a precedent is set, it can be applied to any State irrespective of the Government's political complexion,'' he stated, thus shutting the door on the demand for a Central probe.

The Home Minister later told the CPI(M)'s Nilotpal Basu that the Centre had continuously kept itself abreast with the Gujarat situation. Senior Ministers had visited the State and the Governor's report was being given due recognition. The NHRC's report was being considered from all aspects and "every single recommendation is being given the attention it deserves''. The curtain on this improvised discussion was brought down after 40 minutes by Mr. Kant who felt that other aspects of the situation could be discussed on May 2.

Earlier, the Home Minister's assurance of follow-up action was challenged by the senior Congress leader, Arjun Singh, who berated the casual attitude to such a sensitive issue. "We don't expect a serious reply from him,'' he said.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

Stories in this Section

Krishan Kant admits censure motion on Gujarat

We too can use Rule 184: BJP

Privilege move against PM

'Partisan role' by some foreign missions deplored

India reiterates support for dialogue in Sri Lanka

Gulshan case: One convicted

Accounts frozen

Security for Afroze

Deuba's house torched

Air Marshal Bhatia shifted