New Delhi: Taking a jibe at Bharatiya Janata Party over the Indore incident in which a bangle seller was allegedly beaten up, veteran Congress leader P Chidambaram wondered as to why the State Home Minister is holding on to his portfolio justifying mob violence.
"These incidents are a prelude to inciting communal conflict, violence and polarisation in the run-up to the next round of state elections....Ghaziabad, Kanpur and now Indore....Who are these persons who are emboldened to decide what is right and what is wrong....If the State Home Minister will justify mob violence and vigilante justice, why is he remaining in the chair of Home Minister?" said Chidambaram.
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Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra had said, ''If a man hides his name, caste and religion then bitterness comes in," and added that the incident should not be given "communal colour".
The vendor belonging to a minority community was targeted by a mob in the city while the former was selling bangles on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. Tasleem, a resident of Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh, was subjected to physical attack, with some men abusing him allegedly using communal slurs. He was reportedly robbed off his bangles' stock, and cash and his mobile phone destroyed.
While three persons have been arrested so far in connection with the assault on Tasleem Ali, things took an ugly turn after Indore police booked the bangle seller on charges of sexually harassing a minor.
