New Delhi:
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh have skipped a meeting of the National Integration Council called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the aftermath of the communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, in which nearly 50 were killed and over 40,000 displaced.
Here is your 10-point cheatsheet on the meeting:
The Prime Minister said anyone from any party involved in communal violence would be punished (Read). He also said anti-national forces were using small incidents to trigger communal clashes. (Highlights)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has called the Muzaffarnagar clashes a deliberate attempt to polarise voters for the 2014 polls, according to his written speech. Referring to the 1992 demolition of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya by Hindu activists, Mr Yadav also blames the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) of trying to fan communal flames with a controversial yatra that he banned.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who ended a 17-year alliance with the BJP in June, has also criticised the VHP's yatra in his speech. The VHP and the BJP are part of a grouping called the Sangh parivar, mentored by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Akhilesh Yadav has also called the social media a key platform for spreading communally sensitive material. The role of social networking sites and ways to tackle hate propaganda is one of the key agendas of today's meet. (SMS, social media a major threat, say chief ministers)
Concerns have been raised about the power of the social media after a fake online video allegedly shared by BJP legislator Sangeet Som on social media site was said to have fueled simmering communal tension in Muzaffarnagar. Mr Som was arrested on Saturday.
Another BJP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has hit out at allegations against his party men in the Muzaffarnagar rioting, saying that "making a scapegoat of one party or group will not solve the problem."
The Muzaffarnagar clashes broke out in the aftermath of the killing of two Jats and a Muslim last month. Incendiary political speeches made at gatherings after the killings spiraled into violence that forced the state to call in the army.
The government has written to several celebrities to become brand ambassadors for communal harmony. They include the Dalai Lama, actors Shah Rukh Khan, Irrfan Khan and Boman Irani, Olympic-medallist Mary Kom, legendary athlete Milkha Singh, tennis star Sania Mirza.
The day-long meeting is also discussing the safety and security of women and increasing instances of crimes against women. The 148-member council comprises union ministers, Leaders of Opposition in Parliament, chief ministers, political party leaders, journalists, public figures, business leaders and women's activists. (Women's safety dominates PM's harmony meet)
The recent clashes in Muzaffarnagar as well as Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir have raised concerns of a spurt in communal violence in the run-up to national elections due in May. The Home Ministry has warned states against such violence and attempts to polarise voters.
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