Javed Akhtar blasts Cong-NCP coalition

Mumbai, Oct 10 (UNI) Lyricist Javed Akhtar today came down heavily on the Congress-NCP coalition in Maharashtra, accusing it of allowing communal violence to thrive in the State.

Describing the two ruling parties as ''so-called secular parties'', Mr Akhtar said he was amazed that they were indulging in such a conduct despite knowing that they were doing so at their own expense.

''I can understand the actions of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray or BJP leader L K Advani. But, in 1992-93,the Congress-NCP allowed riots to happen in Mumbai and protected tainted policemen who were indicted by the Srikrishna Commission which probed the riots. The government lost the elections for the first time in the State,'' Mr Akhtar said while speaking at a meeting ''Malegaon Bomb Blasts: Who is to be blamed'' at the K C College here today.

The lyricist alleged that the two ruling parties were repeating their past conduct.

He said earlier when one spoke against minorities, he or she would be branded a ''communal person''. ''But, now, the situation has reversed in such a manner that anybody speaking on behalf of the minorities, is labelled as communal,'' he added.

Akhtar said he found the comments of a police officer unbelievable when the latter said the Malegaon blasts cannot be the handiwork of Hindu outfits because of the use of RDX. ''Do Muslims have a copyright over RDX. Who is the police fooling?'' he asked angrily.

Stating that it was a shame that in a secular, democratic country like India, topics like prejudice against Muslims were being discussed openly, Mr Akhtar ridiculed the encounter policy of the Mumbai police.

''In an encounter, a terrorist fires at the police who then retaliates. But, a terrorist is never injured in the firing or captured alive. The bullet directly hits the head. A diary is recovered from the dead terrorist where names like L K Advani and many others are written who were in his hit list,'' he remarked caustically.

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