NEW DELHI: When it comes to breakdown of law and order in the states, the NDA government appears to be partisan. This is evident from the way the Centre immediately demands a report on violent incidents, communal or otherwise, from Opposition-ruled states while largely turning a blind eye to states ruled by the BJP or its alliance partners.
Take the recent clashes over Ram Navami celebrations in Bihar and West Bengal. While the Centre was quick to demand a report from the Trinamool Congress-run West Bengal government, no such report was sought from Bihar, where the BJP rules with the Janata Dal-United.
The Ram Navami communal clashes is not a one-off, there are several cases of such a bias. Consider this:
Ballabhgarh, Haryana
On June 22, 2017, Junaid Khan was stabbed to death while his brothers, Hashim and Sakir, were injured on board a Mathura-bound train following a dispute over seats. The mob allegedly hurled communal slurs against them, describing them as anti-national and beef-eaters.
The youngsters were returning home to Ballabhgarh after Eid shopping in Delhi’s Sadar Bazaar. The incident sparked communal tension in the area and led to nationwide outrage.
Ballabhgarh also witnessed communal clashes in May 2015, when nearly 2,000 people attacked a mosque in Atali village, Faridabad. About 400 villagers fled and resided in police stations for weeks.
The confrontation took place following a dispute over a 30-year-old mosque.
Haryana has a BJP government and no report was sought by the Centre in either of the cases.
Ramgarh, Jharkhand
In June 29, 2017, a 100-strong mob lynched Alimuddin alias Asgar Ali, a 45-year-old trader, on the suspicion that he was carrying beef in his van in Ramgarh town, about 45km from Ranchi.
The mob comprising Bajrang Dal activists also set ablaze Ansari’s van. Jharkhand is ruled by the BJP and no report was sought.
Panchkula, Haryana
More than 40 people were killed in riots that spread across BJP-ruled Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, besides Punjab and Delhi, after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case in August 2017.
Despite nationwide criticism over the way the riots were handled, the Centre did not seek a report from Haryana or other state governments.
Patan, Gujarat
Two persons were killed in Vadavali village of Patan in March 2017 after a minor fight between students of two communities turned into a full-fledged riot. The clash started a street brawl, leading to the riots. Rampaging mobs allegedly attacked houses and torched several vehicles.
No report was sought from BJP-ruled Gujarat.
Baduria, West Bengal
One person was killed after communal violence erupted in Baduria, North 24 Parganas, in July 2017. The violence started after a controversial social media post on Prophet Mohammad by a 17-year-old student of Class XI.
The Union Home Ministry promptly sought a report from West Bengal, ruled by the Trinamool Congress.
Banswara region, UP
In May, 2017, an indefinite curfew was clamped in several areas falling under Kotwali police station following communal tension and stone throwing between two groups over a disputed religious site. Two vehicles were torched and three persons injured.
The BJP had won the state just months before and no report was sought by the Centre.
Dadri, Uttar Pradesh
In September 2015, a mob in Dadri village of Gautam Budha Nagar district stormed the house of Mohammad Akhlaque and beat him to death on the suspicion that he had beef in his house. The villagers also torched vehicles and vandalised shops.
The Union Home Ministry sought a report from the government in Uttar Pradesh, then ruled by the Samajwadi Party.
Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh
A teenager was killed in clashes during a ‘flag rally’ carried out by the Bajrang Dal and the VHP on
Republic Day in Kasganj near Aligarh. Repeated violence between two communities led to days of communal tension.
The Centre sought a report from the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh Government, making it one of the few exceptions.
Union Home Ministry spokesperson Ashok Prasad said “reports are sought from States only if the incident has wider ramifications or has an internal security angle and force has to be provided to tackle the situation.”
Officials admitted there was a bias, though they also pointed out that the Centre keeps itself abreast of the situation by asking for a detailed situation report from the Intelligence Bureau.
The bias stretches into the party level also, as evident from the BJP’s fact-finding team that will visit Bengal. Party vice-president Om Mathur, Shahnawaz Hussain, Rupa Ganguly and BD Ram will visit the violence-hit state. But no such team is going to Bihar.