Minorities Commission says Indore riots pre-planned, no SIMI role

While top police officers had not said anything, Madhya Pradesh PWD Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who hails from Indore, had blamed the disturbances on SIMI, which is banned in the state.

The NCM, which met top bureaucrats before visiting the riot-hit localities and calling on the families of those who were killed in the violence, stated that innocents should not be framed and asked the administration to bring the accused to book. “The Government should protect the witnesses so that truth comes out.”

Qureshi, who was the governor of Madhya Pradesh in the 1990s, said he looked at the riots as a “human tragedy” and would not politicise them.

In addition to the compensation announced by the state Government, the NCM said it would ensure that the victims got Rs 3 lakh each from the Centre. The commission will submit its report to the Prime Minister and said it was entirely up to the state Government whether to order a judicial inquiry into the riots or not.

Hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, Qureshi also talked about the Amarnath shrine controversy, saying it was sad that a pilgrimage that was a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity had been used to create disturbances and vitiate the atmosphere.

Among the localities the commission visited were the worst-hit Juna Risala, Khajrana and Sindhi Colony. It asked the Government to provide basic amenities to Muslim-dominated localities after observing that they lacked rudimentary infrastructure.

It also met 25 victims admitted to Mayur Hospital, and was satisfied with the treatment being provided to them.

Among unruly scenes seen during the commission’s tour, supporters of a BJP councillor and a Congress councillor clashed as the BJP’s Saddam Pathan accused the Congress’s Sarvar Khan of blaming his party for no reason.

Pathan alleged that Khan had not bothered to visit the victims but was defaming the BJP Government before the minorities commission. Khan’s son reportedly slapped Pathan. Though both parties went to the police station they struck a compromise and did not file a complaint.