Minister's assault
probed while mosque is burnt...
Sandesh Prabhudesai
17 December 2001
The state authorities here are not prepared
to dismiss the incident of assault on union minister for state
Shripad Naik by two youth on Sunday merely as an accident,
though prima facie it appears to be so.
"Ninety nine per cent it is an accident.
But I am not prepared to leave a chance of even one per cent",
states chief minister Manohar Parrikar. He has thus ordered
thorough probe into it.
The Goa-based union minister was assaulted
by two Muslim youth yesterday after their motorcycle hit minister-driven
private car from behind while taking a right turn near his
residence, six kms from here. In the fit of anger, not knowing
that he was a minister, they went and assaulted him while
his bodyguard fired at them, injuring one of the brothers.
The BJP chief minister is however cent per
cent certain that the incident of late last night of burning
down a makeshift mosque and books of holy Koran in Socorro
village, eight kms from Panaji, is not linked to the issue
of Naik’s assault.
Following a complaint by locals, the police
have now filed a case against unknown persons for inciting
religious feelings, insulting religion and playing mischief
by fire. Besides burning down Koran and the temporary shade
built for prayers in a graveyard, the miscreants also damaged
the front gate and the loudspeakers.
According to Parrikar, the mosque incident
might have emerged out of intra-village rivalry over the location
of the mosque while a new religious structure is coming up
at other place. "It is definitely not a reaction to the
assault on the minister", he claimed.
Though he does not go beyond condemning the
issue of moque-burning as anti-social act and suspecting a
foul play, Parrikar says he cannot rule out a plot behind
Naik’s assault. "It is too early to say anything, but
we are probing all possible angles", he adds.
According to him, suspicion has arisen because
one of those boys studied his engineering in Suratkal in North
Canara, which is very close to Bhatkal, a Muslim-dominated
locality known for ISI activities. He also points out that
educated people are being arrested in Delhi having connection
with the attackers on the Parliament on 13 December.
"I am not blaming Muslims in general,
but the fundamentalists among them", says the CM, stating
that Muslim fundamentalists are more dangerous than Hindu
fundamentalists because of their extra-territorial links with
enemy countries like Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Parrikar today morning visited
the site of the makeshift mosque at Socorro and assured them
to get the damaged structure reconstructed at government cost.
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