Modi urges chief ministers to oppose communal violence bill

The BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has written to some chief ministers calling upon them to oppose the communal violence prevtnion bill.

Modi, who is the Gujarat chief minister, in his letter said that the bill was "a blatant attempt by the centre to intrude on the powers" of elected state governments.

According to a post on Modi's website, he has written how the bill will "demoralise public servants" and impact the way state government can deal with law and order situations in the future.

The chief ministers Modi has written to include Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh (BJP), Prithviraj Chavan of Maharashtra, Okram Ibobi Singh of Manipur, and Mukul Sangma of Meghalaya (all Congress).

The united Progressive Alliance government wants to bring the revised communal violence prevention bill in the winter session of parliament that began Dec 5. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party is opposed to the bill.

Modi earlier wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing his strong opposition to the bill.