After Indore BJP leader asks traders to sack Muslim employees, Governor urged to intervene in it

Correspondent

NewsBits.in

BHOPAL: After a BJP leader asked traders to sack Muslim salesmen in Indore recently, a plaint has been made to the Governor about the purported statement that sends a message of religious discrimination with a section of society in Indore.

The BJP office-bearer Akshay Gaur's call to traders to remove Muslim salesmen from their shops in particular markets in Indore, has led to reactions from different sections of the society.

In Bhopal, a memorandum has been handed to the Governor in this regard. Drawing the attention of the Governor, Congress' leader Shahrukh Pathan has said that the BJP leader's statement and his bid to get Muslims salesmen off the shops in Indore, is against communal harmony and integrity of the country.

"It affects the social cohesion and aims at dividing the society on religious lines. Besides, it also violates the princiciples and spirit of the constitution", says the memorandum. Pathan, who is State secretary with the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee's minority wing, has raised the issue.

He said that the Indore incident is serious because the ultimatum to shop owners to remove the Muslim workers, is blatantly communal and is violates Article 14 as well as Article 19 (1)(g), Article 21 and Article 25. These provisions ensure equality of citizens, the right of every citizen to work and earn living apart from right to life and religious freedom.

The memorandum further says that this situation is extremely worrying and raises questions on law-and-order, as well as citizens' safety and security. "If such statements and actions are not stopped, then it would be bad for the constitutional provisions as well as the communal harmony and unity of the nation".

Pathan appealed to the Governor that the Indore district administration should be given directive that no citizen should be discriminated against on the basis of religion and no one should be stopped from pursuing a job or business.
Besides, he said that there must be an effort to ensure safety to religious minorities.

"All the citizens' rights must be protected". Pathan, who is state secretary of the Congress' minority department, said that he hoped Governor's intervention would strengthen the citizens' in the administration and the system. The BJP office-bearer who made the controversial statement, is son of BJP legislator Malini Gaur.