No flexing majority muscle for Govt in RS

The Congress-sponsored motion moved by Manmohan Singh expressed a deep sense of anguish at the persistence of violence in Gujarat for over six weeks leading to the loss of many lives and destruction of property worth crores. It also urged the Centre to intervene effectively under Article 355 of the Constitution to protect the lives and properties of citizens and to provide relief and rehabilitation to victims of violence.

Under Article 355, the Government is bound to send directions to the state government and demand a compliance report. Also, the Centre has a right to intervene directly by dismissing the state government if it defaults on compliance of the directive.

External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said the government agreed with the motion in ‘‘letter and spirit.’’ And that the government was keen to ‘‘work together with Opposition on helping Gujarat come out of its crisis.’’ Singh claimed the government, under Article 355, had already taken steps and would continue to take necessary steps in the coming days.

Initiating the debate, senior Congress leader Arjun Singh blamed the BJP for inaction on Gujarat and causing widespread disillusionment in the country and a fear that India would lose its composite culture and integrity. He likened the Gujarat incidents to the rise of Nazism in Germany to which the ruling party members took strong exception. He suggested that the National Commission for Human rights — which has given a damning report on the riots — go to the Supreme Court for further directions.

Law minister Arun Jaitley was armed with statistics from Gujarat to buttress his claim that the Modi government was not sitting idle while Gujarat burnt. He reeled off figures to show how more Hindus were arrested and killed and how the state government was trying to help riot victims.

Nanaji Deshmukh, nominated RSS leader, asked politicians to work on the ground to instill unity among Hindus and Muslims rather than indulge in rhetoric. ‘‘There is no problem between Hindus and Muslims in villages, only when politicians visit them does the trouble begin,’’ he said. He suggested that instead of blaming each other, both Vajpayee and Sonia Gandhi should visit the riot victims together as that would go a long way in helping the situation.

Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie was in favour of the motion: ‘‘I rise in support of the motion. It is so well drafted.’’

In an obvious reference to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, he said, ‘‘Rulers should have a moral responsibility. Firm steps must be taken and in the coming weeks they will be. I do not agree with Narendra (Modi) that it (Gujarat violence) was controlled within 72 hours. It peaked, but the graph has dipped.’’

Responding to Congress member Kapil Sibal’s question on what prompted the BJP to suggest elections in Gujarat, he said: ‘‘You want to cash in on the carnage in Gujarat? You want to cash in on dead bodies?’’

The BJP national executive in Goa, he said, had decided on elections in Gujarat precisely because it felt in such a situation the government there needed a fresh mandate from the people. ‘‘It is a general breakdown of law and order, breakdown of state machinery. Chief ministers come and go. But, let us do something in the spirit of reconciliation,’’ he added.