CPIML in Uttarakhand has criticised state administration and police for inflicting indiscriminate violence on residents of Banbhoolpura in Haldwani. The party has asked to stop such retaliatory vengeful atrocities on people. Party’s Uttarakhand secretary Indresh Maikhuri has said Banbhoolpura violence was a result of state government’s irresponsible actions taken in haste, undermining the intelligence department’s inputs. The party has held Nainital DM and SSP directly responsible and demanded their immediate removal and a high level judicial inquiry.
Such a ghastly violence with police and administration on one side and residents of a muslim dominated area on the other was unprecedented in the entire history of Uttarakhand will have serious implications if proper action is not taken against the responsible officials. How the violence spread on a large scale quickly, what were the root causes behind this, how the situation got aggravated up to this point, should be properly investigated by a judge of the High Court, demanded comrade Indresh.
Now after many days, the whole area of Bhanbhoolpura has been cordoned off by police and paramilitary forces and outsiders, even media, are not allowed. The police are raiding houses in the name of search operation and brutally beating up people, not sparing even women and children in their houses. The police must comply with legal and constitutional norms.
The police and the government are supposed to defend the law, never otherwise. If the official version is considered as correct, even then the crime of obstructing the government's anti-encroachment drive cannot be made into a case for imposing UAPA or NSA.
The ongoing anti-encroachment drive of the Uttarakhand government has raised serious questions on the intentions of the ruling BJP in the previous year. In many cases demolitions were carried out without serving proper legal notices, in many cases actions were biased against the minority community. In the case of demolition of a mosque and a madarsa in Banbhoolpura in Haldwani, which led to violent incidents, a case is subjudice in the High Court and the next hearing was scheduled on 14 February, but the district administration preferred not to wait for the judicial order for just another week. This was considered deliberate and biased. Comrade Indresh Maikhuri said that people expect from the government to protect their rights and well being and arrange complete rehabilitation, serve proper legal notices and work with full sensitivity so that no one will be rendered homeless when such types of anti-encroachment drives are carried out.
