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December 01, 2012

NAPM condemns attack on Swami Agnivesh by VHP in Bhopal - Pres release

NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS

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NAPM condemns attack on Swami Agnivesh by VHP in Bhopal

New Delhi, December 1 : Vishwa Hindu Parishad once again showed its casteist and communal colour by assaulting Swami Agnivesh yesterday in Bhopal, where he was attending a meeting of Balmiki Samaj.

This attack by VHP on Swami Agnivesh, a spiritual leader and rights activists is extremely condemnable and only shows the conitnuing intolerance and contempt for any differing opinion in a democratic country and the rise of communal and fascist forces under state protection.

VHP terms its objectives as to organise - consolidate the Hindu society and to serve - protect the Hindu Dharma but what it did yesterday once again shows its anti dharma actions and only adds to growing number of such actions against minorities, dalits, women and many others.

Swami Agnivesh met Dr. Sunilam in Bhopal Central jail and extended support to his fight for justice for 24 farmers and his families killed in Multai police firing in 1998. During meeting with MP Chief Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan, he also requested him not to oppose bail to Dr. Sunilam. Later he was attending a meeting of Balmiki Samaj along with CM and Union Minister Jairam Ramesh. He joined them in taking a pledgethat members of Balmiki Samaj will not carry human waste manually any more, which has been banned only in government laws. When he touched the feet of an old Balmiki lady to show his respect, VHP people attackedhim and tore his clothes.

We are anguished by this growing presence of VHP and other communal outfits in Madhya Pradesh under BJP regime, who have been involved in similar cases across the state. We urge Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan to take stern action against the culprits and as a democratically elected CM abide by the Consitution and uphold the rule of law and uphold the values of justice and secularism.

Medha Patkar, Gabriele Dietrich, Prafulla Samantara, Sandeep Pandey, Arundhati Dhuru, Gautam bandopadhyay, Sister Celia, Maj Gen (Retd.) S G Vombatkere, Vimal Bhai, Suniti S R, Akhil Gogoi, Sarasvathy Kavula, Ramakrishnan Raju, Bhupinder Singh Rawat, Anand mazgaonkar, Geo Jose, Rajendra Ravi,Mahendra Yadav, Suhas Kolhekar, Madhuresh Kumar