Date:02/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/02/stories/2006050204511000.htm

National

Take steps to control situation, Centre tells Gujarat

Special Correspondent

NCM wants probe to ascertain if police firing in Vadodara was unavoidable

NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry on Monday asked the Gujarat Government to take all steps to ensure that the situation remained under control in Vadodra where two persons were killed in police firing.

Union Home Secretary V. K. Duggal spoke to Chief Secretary Sudhir Mankad and offered to send paramilitary forces, according to a Home Ministry spokesman.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Minorities has urged the State Government to conduct a judicial enquiry into the matter to ascertain if police firing was unavoidable in Vadodra and if the classification of the Dargah as an "encroachment" was correctly done. The Commission said the current situation in Vadodra arose on account of an "encroachment clearance drive" initiated two weeks ago by the municipal corporation of the city. These encroachments, according to official claims, included several places of worship of different religious communities.

It said municipal authorities were requested by the community leaders to ascertain if there were any "encroachments" of recent origin at the site. "This does not appear to have been done," the Commission said.