NEW DELHI: Congress candidate Aftab Ahmed is seeking re-election from the Muslim-dominated Nuh constituency in Haryana, pledging to introduce a law against lynching in the name of cow protection and demanding a judicial inquiry into last year’s communal violence.
Ahmed, the deputy leader of opposition in the outgoing Haryana assembly, says there were warnings ahead of the communal violence and he had raised concerns with the administration beforehand but they “let it happen”, not only causing loss of lives and property but also faith.
Ahmed said, “The communal violence that rocked Nuh district last year was because of the BJP’s propagation of anti-social elements in the garb of ‘gau rakshaks’. They created a fear psychosis and the atmosphere was charged up. As MLA, I brought it to the notice of the administration that ‘you should prevent such incidents’ but they let it happen.”
During the violence in Nuh, six people, including two home guards and a cleric, were killed. The confrontation began with an attempt to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession and spread to Gurugram. Following the clashes, Congress’ Ferozepur Jhirka MLA Mamman Khan was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Ahmed criticised the government’s response, stating, “A day after the violence, they demolished the homes of some people who were not even involved, thousands of our structures were demolished of poor people, they were not even involved in this incident, and the stringent UAPA was initiated… That is the reason the Congress has been demanding a judicial inquiry into what led to the communal incident… It was not just the loss of lives and property but also faith amongst people.”
He also emphasised the need for peaceful coexistence, saying, “We are fortunate enough that people saw through their game and one day after the incident, no such incident was repeated and people realised that we have to live in harmony… We will bring a law against lynching in the name of cow protection.”
Ahmed will contest against BJP’s Sanjay Singh and INLD’s Tahir Hussain in the upcoming assembly elections on October 5, with results to be announced on October 8. The BJP has historically not won in Nuh, a constituency known for supporting Congress and INLD candidates.
Nuh, which became a separate district in 2005, faces challenges including water shortages, poor infrastructure, lack of healthcare facilities, and high unemployment rates. Local residents have been pressing for development, including the establishment of a university.Credit Source – https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/haryana-assembly-elections-will-bring-law-against-lynching-in-name-of-cow-protection-when-congress-govt-is-formed-says-nuh-mla-aftab-ahmed/articleshow/113723546.cms