Disqualify Modi from contesting elections; CPI to EC

New Delhi, Dec 6 (UNI) The CPI today demanded the Election Commission to disqualify Mr Narendra Modi from contesting elections in the wake of his statement that ''Sohrabuddin Shaikh got what he deserved'' saying the Gujarat Chief Minister had openly confessed to his ''crime''.

''A delegation of the party will meet the Election Commission tomorrow to put forward the demand as Mr Modi is trying to whip up communal polarisation after his development plank during the election campaign yielded no response,'' said CPI senior leader Gurudas Dasgupta.

While the Congress has also asked the EC to initiate suo motu action against Mr Modi for his remark justifying the killing of Sorabuddin in a ''fake encounter'', the Left Parties (the CPI, CPI(M) and the Foward Bloc) have also urged the Supreme Court, the CBI and the National Human Rights Commission to take cognisance of his remark about the ''crime''.

At a press conference, wherein Left leaders D Raja and S Sudhakar Reddy were also present, Mr Dasgupta, who is the party leader in the Lok Sabha, also demanded a criminal case be filed against Mr Modi.

The CPI leader asked the Central government to ensure that the Librahan Commission did not get another extension and that its report came before the Budget session.

Mr Dasgupta said it was strange that the Commission, which had been functioning for the past 15 years, was given another extention recently.

He also made a case for the day-to-day hearing in the trial court in Rai Bareli where the proceedings against senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition L K Advani commenced yesterday.

''The move is necessitated to expedite the trial proceedings to ensure that the guilty are brought to the book.'' The CPI leader asked the government to take cognisance to the majority view against the Indo-US Nuclear cooperation deal as demonstrated in both the Houses of Parliament and abandon the pact.

On the government's reported move to increase the retirement age of government employees from the present 60 years to 62, he said his party would oppose such a proposal. ''We will oppose such a move because it will simply make unemployment scenario more grave,'' Mr Dasgupta added.

UNI