PUNE, 6 November 2007 — A jumbo delegation of 50 Muslim leaders from the country yesterday met Shiv Sena working chief Uddhav Thackeray and extended an invitation to attend a mass “Give Justice” rally to be held in Nagpur on Nov. 22.
The delegation also called upon Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, state Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Arun Gujrathi, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Gadkari and national general secretary of the BJP and senior party leader Gopinath Munde, and extended an invitation for the rally.
Surprisingly the “Give Justice” rally is being organized by BJP legislator Pasha Patel, who said that the Justice Sachar Committee has taken cognizance of the problems, sufferings and injustice meted out to the Muslim community during the past 60 years. The delegation met the Sena leader at Sena House in Dadar and briefed him about the substandard living conditions of Muslims in rural districts. Patel told Uddhav that his leadership would help the Muslim community come into the mainstream and help in alleviating their problems.
Uddhav responded by saying, “From today, a meaningful dialogue has begun between the Sena and the Muslim community, which is very important and vital from our point of view.”
The delegation also met the NCP state President Gujrathi and highlighted the fact that the rally is being held to demand the implementation of the Sachar panel report. The winter session of the State Legislative Assembly is to begin in Nagpur from Nov. 19 and in view of this thousands of Muslims would participate in the rally, Patel said. “This is not a political issue, therefore all political parties should come forward to help sort out this humanitarian issue, which is our only objective, and hence we have extended invitations to all political party leaders to attend the rally,” Patel added.
Meanwhile the state government has put the entire police force on high state of alert with the Hindu festival of Diwali round the corner.
Plainclothes policemen, intelligence bureau officials and armed policemen are patrolling the streets. A senior police official told Arab News that patrolling has been intensified at railways stations, bus terminals, important government installations and in markets, while police were keeping a sharp vigil over the movement of anti-social elements. Search was also being conducted at hotels, restaurants, lodges and parks. Suspected people were being questioned and some antisocial elements criminals have been arrested as precautionary measures, he said.
