Narendra Dabholkar should have got protection: Munde

Seeking to allay apprehension that the saffron parties do not favour the Anti-Black Magic Ordinance, senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde said here today that his party is against superstition.
"BJP opposes "andhshraddha" (superstition) but is not against "shraddha" (belief)," Munde told reporters at Vidhan Bhawan today.
The BJP leader was replying to a query that some leaders of his party had made certain remarks, which suggested that it may be opposed to the legislation.
"If the bill does not contain any portion which goes against shraddha or religious belief, why should we oppose it," Munde said.
The recent assassination of renowned anti-superstition activist and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar prompted the Congress-NCP government to issue an ordinance to enact the Maharashtra Eradication of Blind Faith Bill, Munde said.

"Dabholkar's life could have been saved if he had been provided protection," the BJP leader said.

He taunted Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil over the law and order situation in the state, saying the NCP leader "was in the habit of giving hollow assurances".
The Congress-NCP led Maharashtra government interferes in the work of IAS and IPS officers, Munde said. "All decisions are being taken with a political angle," he added.
He also flayed Union Minister of Agriculture and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar's recent comments that Muslims cannot be blamed for "reacting" to "atrocities" against them. "Such statements are being made for political gains," he said.

He said that his party supports the Food Security Bill but wants to ensure that the Centre does not impose the legislation's financial burden on the states.