Rediff On The NeT: Congress may examine Pawar's role in Bombay riots


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August 11, 1998

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Congress may examine Pawar's role in Bombay riots

The Congress leadership is likely to examine the allegation that senior party leader Sharad Pawar deliberately soft-pedalled the deployment of army during the 1992-83 Bombay riots.

Pawar was then the defence minister.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi recently called for Maharashtra chief minister Manohar Joshi's resignation after he rejected the Justice B N Srikrishna Commission report, which held the saffron forces responsible for the riots.

Congress functionaries told Rediff On The Net that although the party was one in demanding the dismissal of the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, it was perturbed after senior Shiv Sena leaders told them that they would do well to examine what role Pawar had played during the riots.

It is alleged that Pawar delayed army deployment due to two reasons. First, he had a running feud with then Congress chief minister Sudharkarrao Naik who asked Pawar for the deployment of the army. Pawar wanted to snub Naik. Second, Pawar allegedly wanted to protect certain underworld dons who were said to be close to him and were involved in the riots.

The Congress functionaries indicated that the allegations made against Pawar cannot be overlooked to prevent the matter from having a boomerang effect.

Even as the Opposition parties have been demanding the dismissal of the Maharashtra government, the Shiv Sena and BJP leaders are trying to emphasise that the 1992-93 riots occurred when the Congress was in power in Maharashtra.

Asked by Rediff On The Net why the Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, steered clear of seeking action against Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, the Congress functionaries merely said that the party leadership was still evaluating the fallout of the Commission report.

However, Shiv Sena leader in the Lok Sabha Madhukar Sarpotdar pointed out that his party's supremo had warned that some Congressmen played an extremely negative role during the riots, and it was best to let matters be for the sake of national security. Sarpotdar declined to elaborate further.

Meanwhile, Congress officials are reluctant to comment on Pawar's reported inability to attend the party luncheon meeting in Bombay on Sunday, which was attended by Sonia Gandhi. Pawar excused himself, telling the party president that he was unwell. However, Pawar is said to have attended a meeting at the residence of Congress leader Chaggan Bhujbal later.

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