Centre is committed to uphold Constitutional values and rule of law in the country, MHA said
WEB DESK
The government has rejected the claim made by 49 eminent citizens in an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The letter, signed by famous personalities like filmmakers Shyam Benegal and Aparna Sen, had raised concerns over the growing cases of lynching across the country.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that Prime Minister Modi-led NDA government at the Centre is committed to uphold Constitutional values and rule of law in the country.
Reacting to letter, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy told the Rajya Sabha, There has been a decline in incidents of communal violence after 2014. Though, MHA did not give out data for the said claim.
Noted filmmaker Aparna Sen said, The letter is against mob lynching. There is no party or politics behind it. We are asking the PM as the highest person in the executive to take action.
“Hate crimes against minorities and dalits are on the rise in the country. No one has the right to brand any of the signatories as anti-nationals. We are raising our voices as a secular fabric of our country is being ruined, Aparna Sen said.
In a detailed letter, the celebrities have quoted the NCRB report of 2016 to claim that around 840 instances of atrocities against dalits had happened in the year 2016. They have also added that 254 religious identity-based hate crimes were reported between January 1, 2009, and October 29, 2018. The celebrities, in their letter, also raised concern over the declining rate of conviction in the hate crime-related incidents.
However, the MHA in a reply to Rajya Sabha said that it does not maintain a list of mob lynching incidents.
Home Ministry informed the parliament that incidents of communal violence show a declining trend.
“”Public Order” and “Police” are state subjects as per the provisions of the Constitution. The responsibility of maintaining law and order, including dealing with communal violence and maintaining relevant data rests with the respective state governments,” MHA told the House.
MHA response came in after MP Binoy Visham asked whether the government was aware that India is fast losing faith in its image as a secular and tolerant nation for people of all faith.