Sonia Gandhi And Other Opposition Leaders Issue Joint Statement Addressing Recent Communal Violence

Expressing serious concern over the recent incidents of hate speech and communal violence in the country, leaders of 13 Opposition political parties on Saturday , and urged people to maintain an ambience of peace and harmony.

"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," said the Opposittion leaders in a joint statement.

The leaders including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and her Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand counterparts M K Stalin and Hemant Soren also raised concern over the manner in which issues relating to food, dress, faith, festivals and language are being deployed by the ruling establishment to polarise society. 

Reiterating their collective resolve to work together to strengthen the bonds of social harmony that "defined and enriched India for centuries", the Opposition leaders said, "We reiterate our commitment to combat and confront the poisonous ideologies which are attempting to entrench divisiveness in our society."

"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," they said in the joint appeal. 

Incidents of communal violence were reported from some parts of the country on the occassion of Ram Navami on April 10.