‘We are shocked at the silence of the PM’: 13 Opposition leaders condemn communal violence

On Sunday leaders of 13 opposition parties, including Mamata Banerjee, Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, and MK Stalin, issued a joint statement condemning the recent outburst of communal violence witnessed across several states in the country.

“We strongly condemn the recent outburst of communal violence witnessed across several states in the country. We are deeply concerned, as reports indicate that there is a sinister pattern in the areas where these incidents have occurred. Incendiary hate speeches preceded the aggressive armed religious processions unleashing communal violence,” they said in a joint statement.

They further said that they are shocked at the ‘silence of the Prime Minister’.

“We are shocked at the silence of the Prime Minister, who has failed to speak against the words and actions of those who propagate bigotry and those who, by their words and actions, incite and provoke our society. This silence is an eloquent testimony to the fact that such private armed mobs enjoy the luxury of official patronage,” the joint statement read.

“We appeal to all sections of the people to maintain peace and foil the sinister objective of those who wish to sharpen communal polarisation. We call upon all our party units across the country to independently and jointly work for maintaining peace and harmony,” the statement concluded.

The joint statement has been signed by Sonia Gandhi, President, Indian National Congress, Sharad Pawar, President, Nationalist Congress Party, Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister, West Bengal and Chairperson, Trinamool Congress, MK Stalin, Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu and President, DMK Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Hemant Soren, Chief Minister, Jharkhand and Executive President JMM, Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister, J&K and President, National Conference, Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of Opposition – Bihar Assembly, RJD D. Raja, General Secretary, Communist Party of India, Debabrata Biswas, General Secretary, All India Forward Bloc, Manoj Bhattacharya, General Secretary Revolutionary Socialist Party, P. K. Kunhalikutty, General Secretary, IUML, Dipanker Bhattacharya, General Secretary Communist Party of India(ML)-Liberation.