Centre tweaks communal violence bill

The Centre on Thursday decided to dilute several controversial provisions of the Communal Violence Bill in order to table it in Parliament within the short period of winter session amid vociferous protests by opposition leaders.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the government will try to evolve a broad-based consensus on issues which are of “great” legislative importance even as Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi registered his opposition to the bill by shooting off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, describing it as, “ill-conceived and poorly drafted and a recipe for disaster”.

The opposition to the bill came not only from Modi and the BJP but also from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha, prompting the government to tweak the controversial bill.

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the bill would be brought during the winter session. “We will bring the communal violence bill this session, Modi can keep doing his work,” he said.

Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan said there was no need for disagreement over the draft Bill.