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 BHUBANESWAR: Justice Basudev Panigrahi Commission of Inquiry probing into the December 2007 communal violence in Kandhamal district has extended the deadline for filing affidavits from June 30 to July 5. Public hearing by the commission will begin in the district from July 14.
The State chapter of the All India Christian Council (AICC) had urged the judicial commission to extend the deadline to July 31. A Christian delegation, including Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of the national council and State president PR Parichha met the commission on Saturday.
In a statement, Archbishop Cheenath said the district administration and police instead of taking action against senior VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, the alleged mastermind of the communal clash, have been providing security. The council urged the Government to initiate criminal action against the seer. Demanding adequate security to the victims of the minority community, the Christian Council called for an immediate end to ‘witch-hunt’ that has been launched against dalits and tribals in Government services following complaints that many have produced false caste certificates. Alleging that the complaints are brought by some vested interests, the council has threatened to move higher judicial fora if this continues. The council urged the Government to expand the terms of reference of the commission and asked the latter to probe the ‘criminal neglect’ by the district administration prohibiting churches and other social organisations from reaching aid to the affected people. Some ailing persons and infants died for want of medical attention, the archbishop said. The council further alleged that most of the affected Christians are without gainful employment even after six months of the violence and urged both the State Government and the Centre to investigate as to why they are not given employment under NREGS and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. (Courtesy: New Indian Express, June 15, 2008, http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEZ20080615011654&Page=Z&Title=Bhubaneswar&Topic=0&) |
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