Cong treads cautiously on Sena issue

The Congress on Wednesday aggressively raised the issue of a Shiv Sena MP trying to force-feed a man fasting on Ramzan, but toned down its stand citing the “sensitivities” involved in the matter.

The Congress took up the matter vociferously in the Lok Sabha with M I Shanavas accusing Shiv Sena members of forcing a Muslim caterer in the New Maharashtra Sadan to eat chapatti and break his Ramzan fast against his will.

Congress members rushed to the well and raised slogans condemning the Sena members’ actions and demanded that government take action against the erring members.

“This is cutting at the very root of secularism. Never in an independent India has such a thing happened. The MPs who are to be the role models have shown a bad model,” Shanavas said.

Former Union minister Kamal Nath, speaking to reporters, condemned the incident saying the actions of Sena members demonstrated their mindset.

However, a section of Muslim MPs from the Congress said raising the issue aggressively would amount to playing into the hands of communal forces that were keen to polarise the voters in Maharashtra ahead of the Assembly elections in October.

Congress leaders said that television footage showed that Rajan Vichare, the Sena MP who tried force-feed the caterer, had retreated after he realised that his victim was observing fast on the occasion of Ramzan.

At the party briefing, AICC spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said there were sensitivities attached to the incident that had been reported in a section of the media. “It is a sensitive issue. It has been raised in Parliament by the party. The issue has been raised in the House by the party. Things would be clear when the government makes a statement on it. We do not want to comment on it,” he said.

Meanwhile, some Opposition members shot off a letter to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan demanding an inquiry into the incident.

“We would request you to uphold the dignity of the House by ordering an inquiry and also direct the government for an immediate inquiry and appropriate action so that such wanton behaviour is no longer repeated,” they said.

The letter was signed by Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Tariq Anwar (NCP), Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav (RJD), P Karunakaran (CPM), N K Premachandran (RSP), E T Muhammad Basheer (IUML) and Jose K Mani (Kerala Congress-M).