CPM flays Shivraj Patil's remark on Kandhmal situation

Bhubaneswar, Jan 4 (UNI) Orissa unit of the CPM today flayed the remark of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on the Kandhmal communal clash describing his statement as ''totally inadequate''.

CPM state secretary Janardan Pati told mediapersons here that the Union Home Minister's statement, after visiting the strife torn Kandhmal district, did not reflect the real situation prevailing there.

He said Mr Patil did not say that the communal forces were responsible for the violence in Kandhamal.

Mr Patil, who visited Kandhamal on January two last, told newspersons on his return that the people behind the dastardly act should be booked and punished irrespective of their caste, religion and area.

He further said both the Centre and state governments would jointly try to bring peace and normality in the area and improve the situation.

The CPM, Mr Pati said would urge the Central Secretariat to depute a Parliamentary delegation to the affected areas of Kandhmal to assess the situation.

He also said the ruling BJD in the state failed to control the communal violence.

Mr Pati said like the BJD-BJP, the Congress was also equally responsible for the present situation in Kandhmal as it was during the Congress regime, the Kui speaking people were treated as tribal as proposed by the NDA government in 2003.

The CPM leader also clarified that tribal Kui should be treated as tribal while the Dalit Kui be treated as Dalit and the language should not be taken as a criteria for determining the Scheduled Tribe.

The party, Mr Pati said, felt that the Dalit Christians and Muslims should be treated as Dalits and covered under the reservation.

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