PM should address nation, condemn incidents of communal violence: Gehlot

New Delhi: In the wake of the recent incidents of communal riots in certain parts of the country, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should address the nation and condemn the violence.

He said the silence of the prime minister encourages people indulging in such activities and that these should be strongly denounced by those in power.

“People in power should stop attempts to foment violence and condemn it. But just the opposite is happening. I have heard that the PM is calling MPs from Rajasthan and asking them what they were doing…

“…the prime minister or home minister should take decisions in national interest while taking my criticism in a positive way. They should introspect. The PM should address the nation and tell people that he will not accept violence in any form as those indulging in it are anti-social elements. The Prime minister should denounce and condemn violence of all kind,” Gehlot told reporters here.

He was talking to reporters outside Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s residence where he attended a meeting on the party’s future poll strategy.

“I understand the importance and dignity of the prime minister and home minister’s office. But what is happening today is that the home minister himself is involved in bringing down governments through horse-trading. Is this democracy?” he said.

The senior Congress leader alleged that they (BJP leadership) have no fear of what people would say, and accused them of being arrogant.

“They have become so arrogant that they think only what they do is right and what they say is the last word, and they don’t care about what people say. That is why these ‘tamashas’ (the spectacle of riots) are happening in the country. But, if they don’t care about what people say, people will teach them a lesson they will never forget,” he said.

Gehlot’s comments came after a string of communal riots in different states, including in Rajasthan’s Karauli, and hate speeches by Hindu hardliners.