A distinguished former Indian Police Service officer Julio Ribeiro on Monday raised questions on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party can rein in the Hindu right-wing elements and stressed on the need to promote inclusive development.
Ribeiro, 86, a former Mumbai police commissioner, also said he never felt that he belonged to a different religion now in comments that came against the backdrop of controversial campaigns such as 'Ghar wapsi', attacks on Christian institutions and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Chief Mohan Bhagwat questioning the work of Mother Teresa.
"People are not listening to him," Ribeiro, a former director general of police of Gujarat and Punjab, told PTI when asked whether he expected the prime minister to act against Hindu groups indulging in questionable campaigns. He was Punjab police chief during the insurgency in the state in 1980.
To a query on whether the BJP can check such elements, he said, "I don't know if they can rein in such elements."
"Can they (the BJP) do it? I am not sure," he said, adding, "What we need now is inclusive development for all the people in the country and not just some sections."
Ribeiro, who stressed that today in his 86th year he felt threatened, not wanted, reduced to a stranger in his own country, said that he never felt that he was belonging to a different religion. He is also a former ambassador to Romania.
"I never felt this for 85 years plus I am nearly 86 now and I was always accepted by everybody and I accepted everybody. I never felt that I was belonging to a different religion and I am not very religious also," he said.
Ribeiro said he has been fighting for the country doing work for the nation, doing work for the people, the poorest without bothering about which religion they belonged to and we have been brought like that.
"We never think about what is this man's religion or that man's caste or things like that. We are just Indians," he said.
Photograph: Wikimedia Commons
