NCM demands ban on VHP, Bajrang Dal

New Delhi, Oct 5 (UNI) The National Commission for Minorities has recommended to the Centre to ban Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal which it says has been responsible for acts of vandalism and breakdown of communal harmony in the troubled states of Orissa and Karnataka.

The Commission in its report submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently has suggested that the two state governments keep a close vigil on the activities of such outfits. The Commission, headed by its Chairman Shafi Qureshi, had visited the troubled areas like Mangalore, Bangalore and Udipi between September 16 and 18 to take stock of the situation there after attacks on members of minority community and their places of worship.

The NCM's report has not yet been made public, even though the members of the panel have voiced concern at the acts of vandalism in their public pronouncements. The Commission's sources said the report would be made public soon. Two separate teams of the commission had visited Orissa and submitted their reports.

The Commission also recommended that full compensation be made to the families of the dead and those injured.

The situation in Orissa after the murder of VHP's Swami Laxminanda Saraswati never became normal. The Commission claimed that most of those died in the violence or injured were not essentially members of the minority community. And those guilty should be brought to justice, he added.

The teams, which visited the two states, met the Chief Ministers, Home Ministers and senior officials concerned. The sources said they were waiting for the action that the Centre will take on the reports.

UNI GS RP RAI1834