Patil asks Maharashtra Govt to curb communal clashes

New Delhi, Oct 6 (UNI) Home Minister Shivraj Patil has asked the Maharashtra Government to take effective steps to check communal clashes and also wanted to know the progress made in Malegaon blasts investigations.

Mr Patil visited Mumbai yesterday and met Governor S C Jamir.

He also had a meeting with the Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, the Deputy Chief Minister, DGP and other senior police officers.

The Home Minister discussed recent communal clashes in Dhule yesterday in which three persons were killed and eighty others were injured. The clashes erupted between two community as posters and banners put by some people were found torn.

The Home Minister also inquired into the progress made in investigations in the Malegaon blasts case.

The Home Minister also reviewed the security arrangments in the state in view of the festive season. Mahrashtra, which has witnessed many terror attacks recently, including blasts in Mumbai local trains and motorcycle blast in Malegaon.

Earlier, the Home Ministry had taken a strong view of attacks on minorities in Orissa and Karnataka. Mr Patil had visited Bangalore on Saturday and discussed the situation with the Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur. The Karnataka Government had already been issued directives under Article 355 of the Constitution.

The Home Minister had also spoken to the Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and asked him to take effective steps to curb violence against Minorities. The Orissa government has received flak for rape of nun in Kandhamal.

The Prime Minister has decided to hold the National Integration Council Meeting following these attacks on minorities in these two states. The decision to hold the NIC meeting came after the Cabinet discussed the matter and many UPA allies demanded imposition of President Rule in BJP ruled Karnataka.

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