PM to visit Muzaffarnagar tomorrow,NIC calls meeting

A meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) has also been convened on September 23 to discuss the increasing communal incidents in different parts of the country.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi are likely to accompany the Prime Minister to Muzaffarnagar,although there was no official confirmation until late Saturday evening. Sources said Rahul has deferred a meeting of senior party functionaries scheduled on Monday. The ruling party had earlier announced that Sonia and Rahul would visit the riot-affected areas next week.

The Prime Minister’s scheduled visit to Muzaffarnagar and the NIC meeting which will be attended by all union ministers and chief ministers reflect the Centre’s concern.

Although Sonia and Rahul have so far maintained silence on the Muzaffarnagar clashes,their visit to the affected areas will come at a time when the Samajwadi Party (SP) is facing flak from Muslim leaders and organisations for its failure to protect their lives and properties.

Incidentally,the decision on the Prime Minister’s visit comes a day after Narendra Modi was declared the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. The Congress had earlier sought to drag Modi’s name into the issue with party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury saying,“Modi released Amit Shah into UP and you have seen the trailer of what is to come.”

Meanwhile,government sources said the meeting of the NIC has been called as there has been a spurt in communal incidents in recent years. The NIC “notes with concern the increase in communal incidents in different parts of the country over the last few years and emphasises that notwithstanding sporadic occurances of communal and other divisive conflicts,the vast majority of common men and women,irrespective of their religious affiliations,live in peace and harmony and have no interest in violence and disorders,” said an official statement.

“The council wishes to emphasise that this task is not of governments alone,although governments have to play a major role in strengthening the forces of integration and in implementing expeditiously and effectively the recommendations that this council makes. This task is the collective responsibility of all citizens — politicians,educationists,artists,writers,teachers,parents and students,intellectuals,businessmen and trade union leaders,” it added.