The Congress party has described the serial killing of children in Nithari as a “blot on civilization” and said the party suspects that Noida police entrusted with the investigation cannot do justice. Party spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan said while the insensitivity and inefficiency of the Uttar Pradesh Police is “definite,” its “complicity in the crime is suspect.” Mounting a frontal attack on Mulayam Singh’s government, the Congress spokesperson said as early as August 2005, the National Women’s Commission had summoned senior police officials of the district while inquiring into the disappearance of six young girls. “But the police remained inactive throughout. If they had taken timely action, lives of several children could have been saved,” Natarajan said. She said according to the party’s information, 98 children were missing from the same locality and not 38 as was being widely reported. “Our people have told us this, but I do not want it to attribute to any sources.” Natarajan said only a CBI inquiry could bring out the truth about the killing and destruction of evidence. Natrajan sidestepped questions on whether her party favoured imposition of President’s rule in the state saying that she did not not want to politicise the issue. It is a matter between the Governor, President and the government, she said. She also evaded questions on why party chief Sonia Gandhi had not visited Noida adjoining Delhi. Meanwhile, UPCC president Salman Khurshid visited the area for second time today and said the police and administration were totally insensitive to the plight of the victims. “Compassion and succor should have been forthcoming from the administration. But they are tough and brutal towards the victims and behaving in a fashion unbecoming of a caring state,” Khurshid said. He said this once again illustrated the complete lack of governance in Uttar Pradesh but stopped short of demanding President’s rule in the state. “The government (Centre) has the wisdom and apparatus to reach an appropriate decision,” he added.
