Ahmed Patel writes to Rajnath Singh over communal violence in states

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat, Ahmed Patel on Sunday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, expressing concerns over the recent incidents of communal violence in different states, especially Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Telangana and other places.

In the letter, Ahmed Patel wrote, "Disturbingly this time religious processions and festivities have been used as an excuse to instigate violence between two communities".

"Festivals are a joyous time for everyone and have been celebrated with gaiety and harmony; but certain elements with vested political interests have been deliberately trying to polarise people from a certain community, by creating an environment of fear and intimidation, ahead of the 2019 General Elections," he said.

Giving examples of police's failure to arrest a Union Minister's son for inciting communal violence in Bhagalpur, he said, "The constitutional apparatus and the state machinery seem to have abdicated their duty either by choice, compulsion and coercion".

"Warning that communal violence might benefit some people politically in the short run, but will end up harming the country in the long term", the Congress leader urged the Union Home Minister "to take strict action against the perpetrators and extend all help to the state governments to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future".