National

Lalu seeks Manmohan, Sonia’s intervention in Maharashtra

— Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma

Lalu Prasad. A file picture.

NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Wednesday spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi seeking their intervention in Maharashtra in the wake of the lynching of a labourer from Uttar Pradesh in Mumbai.

The Minister warned that the Railways would not hesitate to suspend services in States which failed to provide security to trains and passengers.

The issue will come up at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, Union Steel Minister and Lok Jan Shakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan told journalists in Patna.

Describing the lynching of Dharam Dev aboard a train as a serious and national issue, Mr. Prasad said both Dr. Singh and Ms. Gandhi assured him that they would take up the matter with Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh urgently to protect the lives of north Indians in the State.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal chief urged them to ensure that Mr. Deshmukh took stern measures to put down attacks on north Indians, which were on the rise in recent days. He also wanted them to direct the Maharashtra government to gear itself up for the Chhath festival and ensure the safety of devotees.

Mr. Prasad urged the Prime Minister to convene an all-party meeting. He took exception to Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani keeping mum on the issue.

However, the Railway Minister turned down Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh’s demand that he and Mr. Paswan quit, saying resignation was not a solution to the problem.

Mr. Prasad also took up the matter with Mr. Deshmukh and urged him to take strict action against the culprits responsible for the gory act and punish officials who failed to protect the victim.

The Railways would write to the State government to take action against Government Railway Police personnel who had failed in their duty. It was only at the intervention of the Railway Protection Force, did the GRP file a case on the lynching incident.

Railway officials in Delhi have also taken up the matter with the Maharashtra Director-General of Police, who, sources said, admitted to the failure of the GRP in protecting the labourer.

Mr. Prasad announced a compensation of Rs. 3 lakh to the family of the youth.

Coming just a day after the Mumbai police gunned down Rahul Raj of Bihar aboard a bus, the lynching incident has given yet another opportunity to the Bihar leaders to join forces against the growing incidents of attacks against north Indians.

In Patna, Mr. Paswan also urged the Prime Minister to convene an all-party meeting to take a national stand on putting down the “mean politics” being pursued by some parties like the MNS. He said a meeting of the National Integration Council should also be held.

Mr. Paswan said he would raise the issue at the Cabinet meeting as the situation underscored the Maharashtra government’s failure to contain it. He rejected the Maharashtra government’s probe by the Chief Secretary into the killing of Rahul Raj, and said nothing short of a judicial probe was acceptable.

Mr. Paswan felt that the Maharashtra government should step down on its own as it failed to enforce the rule of law and put down with an iron hand the anti-national activities of the MNS. He demanded a ban on the MNS and filing of criminal cases against its leaders including Raj Thackeray.

Mr. Paswan visited the house of Rahul Raj and consoled his family.

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