The INDI Alliance has demanded the immediate removal and suspension of the district magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police of Nainital for their failure to prevent the Haldwani riot. The alliance has termed the Haldwani violence as highly deplorable and a distressing incident. A meeting of the alliance was held in the state headquarters of Congress party on Friday in which its leaders made an appeal to maintain communal harmony and peace. The leaders claimed that the unfortunate incident has occurred because of the laxity of the administration, apathetic attitude of the government and the failure of the local intelligence. The INDIA bloc also demanded immediate suspension of the DM and SSP of Nainital. The alliance will organise a prayer meeting in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on February 10.
The speakers in the meeting said that the Haldwani incident is an administrative failure. They said that the administration and the government deliberately created such a situation which resulted in the incident. The leaders said that the general public, journalists and police personnel have been injured in the incident. The leaders were of the view that no one should be allowed to tamper with the law and the administration should take necessary steps to prevent repetition of such incidents in future. The leaders also criticised the BJP for engaging in petty politics on the issue. The leaders demanded that the government should order a judicial probe in the incident and take punitive action on those responsible for the incident.
The alliance leaders said that hearing on a petition in the Malik farm case is scheduled on February 14 and the action taken by the administration on February 8 was done in haste and raises questions.
The vice president (organisation) Mathura Dutt Joshi, chief spokesperson Garima Dasauni, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Samar Bhandari, CPI M leader RS Negi, CPI ML leader Indresh Maikhuri, AAP leader Uma Sisodia, Nirmala Bisht from Mahila Manch and others attended the meeting.
