Ahead of the next year’s lok Sabha polls, the UPA Government has decided to revive the controversial Communal Violence Bill inviting strong criticism from the main Opposition BJP and a word of caution from UPA ally, National Conference (NC).
While Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said work has begun on the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill that aims to protect minorities from targeted attacks, Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan said he was in the favour of introducing the Bill in the Winter Session.
“I have sought details of the Bill from the concerned department,” Shinde told reporters. However, he remained evasive if the Bill could be tabled in the Winter Session. “I’m not sure about it. But yes, work has started on it,” he said.
Rahman Khan noted that that Muzaffarnagar riots had underlined inadequacies in existing laws to deal with such clashes. On whether the Bill would be tabled in the next session of parliament, Khan informed that he was in its favour “but the decision has to be taken by the Government.”
Khan dismissed BJP’s claim that the UPA Government was pushing for the Bill with an eye on elections, saying it has been under consultation for a long time and the Government’s job is to function “till the last day”.
While BJP has dubbed the Bill as “anti-majority”, several regional parties have all along opposed to the Bill on the grounds that it violates federal principles.
The Bill has also been opposed by some States which seek to empower the Central Government to send Central forces unilaterally in the event of communal disturbances.
The draft bill largely sticks to the provisions in the ‘Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011’ prepared by Sonia Gandhi-headed National Advisory Council.
Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said any step that will reduce communal violence is a good thing but the implications of the proposed bill on the State has to be discussed before his party, National Conference, takes any decision.
“What effect it will have on Jammu & Kashmir keeping in view the special status of the State, what will be the role of our party and role of the coalition (partners), it needs to be discussed,” he told reporters in Srinagar. NC is an ally of Congress in UPA.
BJP reacted angrily to the move and accused Congress of trying to “communalise” country before elections. “We are in support of a law to stop communal violence. But in this Bill some provisions were made deliberately to target certain organisations and groups. let s see in what form it comes to parliament,” party spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.
Another party leader Balbir Punj said UPA is resorting to diversionary tactic. “They (UPA) are trying to force communal political agenda...trying to communalise the country.”
The bill was first introduced in Rajya Sabha in 2005 and subsequently referred to the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs.
The Committee submitted its report in 2006 to Parliament and notices were given in March 2007, December 2008, February 2009, December 2009 and again in February 2010 in Rajya Sabha for consideration and passing of the Bill.The Bill, however, could not be taken up for consideration on any of these occasions.