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No office for Ranvir Sena probe panel; Rajya Sabha rocked

Noisy scenes erupted in the Rajya Sabha today when Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani said that the Justice Amir Das Commission, constituted to unravel the 'political antecedents' of militant Bihar landlord outfit Ranvir Sena, was yet to be provided with office accommodation.

Replying to Jalaluddin Ansari and Kamla Sinha during question hour on the massacre of 22 dalits in Shankar Bigha in Jehanabad district allegedly by the Ranvir Sena, Advani said non-implementation of land reforms was the main reason for the tension prevailing in the area.

The Ranvir Sena was certainly a major hurdle for maintaining peace, he said. Thirty- two people had been arrested so far in this connection.

Conceding that Ranvir Sena was the most aggressive outfit and the commission could have been told to finish their task in six months, he said, ''The commission is yet to be given office accommodation.'' This led to shouts of 'shame' from the treasury benches to be countered by the Opposition.

Ansari said there was talk about patronage to the Ranvir Sena by political parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party and wanted the government to come out with the facts. He said the Ranvir Sena was against land reforms and fair wages for the agricultural labour who were predominantly dalits.

UNI

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