Centre protecting communist leaders: BJP

New Delhi, Mar 10 (UNI) Charging the CPI(M) with attacking a peaceful BJP demonstration yesterday, the Delhi BJP today accused the Centre of protectig communist leaders.

BJP's Delhi unit president Dr Harsh Vardhan said here that Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil was ''pressurising'' the Delhi Police against lodging an FIR against CPM leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechuri following yesterday's clash between BJP-RSS actvists and CPM cadres outside Left party's headquarters here.

Dr Vardhan alleged that the ''open massacre'' of BJP and Sangh workers was carried out under the orders of the Kerala Home Minister and five workers were killed and scores others maimed in the last one week.

''BJP and Hindu Manch workers had reached the CPM office yesterday to peacefully protest attacks on their counterparts in Kerala...CPM leaders Sitaram Yechuri and Prakash Karat instigated their activists to attack the demonstrators. But even 28 hours after the incident, the police has not lodged an FIR aganst them despite request by the BJP,'' he added.

The state BJP has faxed a letter to the President, the chairman of the NHRC and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court seeking their intervention and requesting them to direct the Home Minister to get an FIR lodged against CPM leaders.

A BJP delegaton also met the police commissioner requesting him to cancel the FIR against BJP-Hindu Manch activists and instead send the ''guilty CPM leaders to jail.'' UNI NAB RR RS1828