AAP says it would reopen Batla House case
21 Nov 2013 7:02 AM IST
The manifesto released by the party on Wednesday says it would ‘ensure fake encounters and false cases against Muslim youths shall end’.
When asked by Millennium Post what would be their stand on the Batla House encounter in which the court has given a clean chit to police would be, party leader Yogendra Yadav said, ‘We would have a look at the government documents once we have access to it on coming to power. If there is a case to reopen the matter, we would not hesitate.’
However, on second thoughts, a few hours after the release of the manifesto, a statement from the party’s spokesperson Aswathi Muralidharan said investigations into ‘the fake encounters should be replaced by (investigations into) fake cases.’ In a related development, Election Commission (EC) issued a notice to AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal for an alleged violation of the model code of conduct by appealing to Muslim voters on religious grounds to support his party in the forthcoming Delhi assembly polls. The manifesto makes a concerted attempt to reach out to the minority communities and mentions that it would improve conditions of government schools as poor Muslims send their children there. It says it would provide second language status to Urdu and provide economic security to Muslims in small-scale enterprises. It also claims to bring transparency in the functioning of Delhi Waqf Board and resolve the issue of land for graveyards.
The manifesto does not mention the name of social worker Anna Hazare though it refers to AAP’s evolution through the movement which the reformer from Ralegan Siddhi launched in 2011. The manifesto says, ‘Aam Aadmi Party is not just another party. It is a party that has arisen from the struggles of Ramlila Maidan and Jantar Mantar.’
The manifesto also offers lip service to the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and claims all efforts would be made to bring justice to victims of the massacre. ‘Many victims of the massacre live in the colonies like Tilak Vihar that lack adequate facilities like roads, sewers. Infrastructure would be developed in these areas,’ says the manifesto.
When asked by Millennium Post what would be their stand on the Batla House encounter in which the court has given a clean chit to police would be, party leader Yogendra Yadav said, ‘We would have a look at the government documents once we have access to it on coming to power. If there is a case to reopen the matter, we would not hesitate.’
However, on second thoughts, a few hours after the release of the manifesto, a statement from the party’s spokesperson Aswathi Muralidharan said investigations into ‘the fake encounters should be replaced by (investigations into) fake cases.’ In a related development, Election Commission (EC) issued a notice to AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal for an alleged violation of the model code of conduct by appealing to Muslim voters on religious grounds to support his party in the forthcoming Delhi assembly polls. The manifesto makes a concerted attempt to reach out to the minority communities and mentions that it would improve conditions of government schools as poor Muslims send their children there. It says it would provide second language status to Urdu and provide economic security to Muslims in small-scale enterprises. It also claims to bring transparency in the functioning of Delhi Waqf Board and resolve the issue of land for graveyards.
The manifesto does not mention the name of social worker Anna Hazare though it refers to AAP’s evolution through the movement which the reformer from Ralegan Siddhi launched in 2011. The manifesto says, ‘Aam Aadmi Party is not just another party. It is a party that has arisen from the struggles of Ramlila Maidan and Jantar Mantar.’
The manifesto also offers lip service to the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and claims all efforts would be made to bring justice to victims of the massacre. ‘Many victims of the massacre live in the colonies like Tilak Vihar that lack adequate facilities like roads, sewers. Infrastructure would be developed in these areas,’ says the manifesto.
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