Reacting to adverse reactions and protests in Tamil Nadu over the April 7 Chittoor incident, in which 20 people from the state were shot during an operation said to be against red sanders smugglers, Andhra Pradesh’s Communication Advisor Parakala Prabhakar said, “Political parties have their own compulsions and support base, which they have to satisfy.”
“We would like political parties to view the whole incident as a smuggler versus law issue and not as a one state versus another state issue,” Prabhakar said.
When asked if the incident has taken a political colour in Tamil Nadu, Prabhakar said political parties have to come to terms with the law. “Our appeal is that a (magisterial) enquiry has been ordered (by the AP government) and we should not jump to conclusions,” he said.
He said the enquiry would establish the “circumstances” (leading to the firing) and on the basis of the enquiry report, “We can take action or whatever”. Prabhakar pointed out that the country’s judiciary is seized of the matter, noting that petitions on the incident have been filed before Hyderabad and Madras High Courts, while the National Human Rights Council (NHRC) has taken cognisance of the matter.
“Judiciary is seized of the matter. We should end there. Let the judiciary decide,” Prabhakar said. He ruled out giving “compensation” to the next of kin from Tamil Nadu who were killed in the incident. “Not at all (we will not give). We view them as smugglers,” he said.
When asked about Left parties, human rights groups and political parties in Tamil Nadu being critical of police action, and if this had “dented” the image of the Andhra Pradesh government, he said, “It (the incident) will be seen as somebody (AP government) who is very stern in its dealings with people who break the law”.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu police detained Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazahagam (MDMK) chief Vaiko and around 1,000 of his supporters, while they were on their way to Chittoor to protest against the killing, on Friday.
“I demand the immediate arrest and slapping of murder charges against police officials responsible for the fake encounter and killing of 20 Tamils,” Vaiko said.
NHRC to take up issue on April 22
The gunning down of 20 Tamil Nadu woodcutters in AP and killing of five undertrial prisoners in Telangana will come up at three-day ‘open hearing and camp sitting’ of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) beginning April 22. NHRC has already sought responses of APand Telangana governments over the killings. In the woodcutters case the rights body has observed that it “involved a serious violation” of human rights of individuals.
DMK demands judicial enquiry in encouncer case
Describing the gunning down of 20 woodcutters from Tamil Nadu in AP as unprecedented and “a big human rights violation”, the DMK on Friday called for a judicial enquiry into the episode and urged the Tamil Nadu government to take steps in this regard.
“Such an incidenthas not happened before. Reports indicate that the innocent workers were brought to the spot at night, their hands tied and were later shot at," DMK president M Karunanidhi said, adding it was a “big human rights violation”. He said it was also being alleged that logs were placed near the victims’ bodies, adding that the “atrocious” incident had caused outrage in TN. “Therefore, a judicial enquiry should be undertaken to ensure that truth emerges. The TN government should take serious steps for this," he said.
“We would like political parties to view the whole incident as a smuggler versus law issue and not as a one state versus another state issue,” Prabhakar said.
When asked if the incident has taken a political colour in Tamil Nadu, Prabhakar said political parties have to come to terms with the law. “Our appeal is that a (magisterial) enquiry has been ordered (by the AP government) and we should not jump to conclusions,” he said.
He said the enquiry would establish the “circumstances” (leading to the firing) and on the basis of the enquiry report, “We can take action or whatever”. Prabhakar pointed out that the country’s judiciary is seized of the matter, noting that petitions on the incident have been filed before Hyderabad and Madras High Courts, while the National Human Rights Council (NHRC) has taken cognisance of the matter.
“Judiciary is seized of the matter. We should end there. Let the judiciary decide,” Prabhakar said. He ruled out giving “compensation” to the next of kin from Tamil Nadu who were killed in the incident. “Not at all (we will not give). We view them as smugglers,” he said.
When asked about Left parties, human rights groups and political parties in Tamil Nadu being critical of police action, and if this had “dented” the image of the Andhra Pradesh government, he said, “It (the incident) will be seen as somebody (AP government) who is very stern in its dealings with people who break the law”.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu police detained Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazahagam (MDMK) chief Vaiko and around 1,000 of his supporters, while they were on their way to Chittoor to protest against the killing, on Friday.
“I demand the immediate arrest and slapping of murder charges against police officials responsible for the fake encounter and killing of 20 Tamils,” Vaiko said.
NHRC to take up issue on April 22
The gunning down of 20 Tamil Nadu woodcutters in AP and killing of five undertrial prisoners in Telangana will come up at three-day ‘open hearing and camp sitting’ of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) beginning April 22. NHRC has already sought responses of APand Telangana governments over the killings. In the woodcutters case the rights body has observed that it “involved a serious violation” of human rights of individuals.
DMK demands judicial enquiry in encouncer case
Describing the gunning down of 20 woodcutters from Tamil Nadu in AP as unprecedented and “a big human rights violation”, the DMK on Friday called for a judicial enquiry into the episode and urged the Tamil Nadu government to take steps in this regard.
“Such an incidenthas not happened before. Reports indicate that the innocent workers were brought to the spot at night, their hands tied and were later shot at," DMK president M Karunanidhi said, adding it was a “big human rights violation”. He said it was also being alleged that logs were placed near the victims’ bodies, adding that the “atrocious” incident had caused outrage in TN. “Therefore, a judicial enquiry should be undertaken to ensure that truth emerges. The TN government should take serious steps for this," he said.