By India Tomorrow Correspondent,
Guwahati/ New Delhi, 04 May 2014: A high-level joint delegation of different Muslim organizations and political parties met Governor of Assam Janaki Ballav Patnaik here at the Governor House on Sunday and demanded justice for the families of those killed by Bodo terrorists in last three days in Kokrajhar and Baksa districts of the state. They said as the state government has failed in protecting the minorities, the governor should dissolve it.
In the brutal attack on May 1 and 2, which is said to be a political revenge, armed Bodo terrorists gunned down at least 32 people mostly women and children – 31 of them were Muslims as the Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde admitted this afternoon.
Muslim leaders meeting Assam Governor on 04 May 2014.
Among others, the Muslim delegation had Hafiz Rasheed Chaudhary, national vice president of All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat, Mohammad Shafi Madani, Secretary for Social Service, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and Mujtaba Farooque, President, Welfare Party of India.
Talking to India Tomorrow over phone, Welfare Party president Mujtaba Farooque said the Muslim delegation demanded scrapping of the Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) accord as it is “undemocratic and unconstitutional.”
“BTC accord has already been challenged in court on the ground that Bodos, who are in minority (around 22 percent) in the region, have been given full authority in BTC. Bodos are in minority. They can’t raise their population, so they want to downsize population of other communities through such killings,” said Farooque. The delegation, he said, demanded abolition of the BTC accord.
.jpg)
Muslim leaders meeting Assam Governor on 04 May 2014. (2nd from right — Shafi Madani of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Mujtaba Farooque, President, Welfare Party of India)
The Muslim delegation made three other demands also.
“Who provoked and carried out the violence should be arrested and tried,” we demanded the governor.
Mr. Farooque alleged Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi who holds the portfolio of state home ministry, has not taken the issue seriously. Under his rule in 2012, Bodos had killed around 100 people and forced around 4 lakh people out of their homes.
“We demanded the governor to dismiss the state Congress government,” Mr. Farooque said.
They also demanded immediate rehabilitation of the people whose homes were destroyed. Around 73 homes were looted and put on fire. On state government’s recommendation for a probe by National Investigation Agency, Mr. Farooque said it would be better if the probe is conducted by CBI.
Asked about the reaction of the governor JB Patnaik, Mr. Farooque said the Governor told them that soon after the incident, he called Director General of Police and Home Secretary and asked them to investigate the incident properly and book the culprits. The Governor also asked the officers that the violence must not escalate or recur.
The delegation was led by Mushawarat’s VP Hafiz Rasheed Chaudhary.
While Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Saturday condemned the Bodo attacks the state Congress government of Tarun Gogoi announced to hand over the inquiry to the National Investigation Agency. Meanwhile, media reports say 22 Bodo terrorists have been arrested and huge arms have been recovered from their possession.
