With those involved in rioting and violence occupying the high offices, it is to be seen if the prevailing situation shows any change or the ugly trend continues to dominate the Indian politics
Malegaon: The cabinet expansion by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Friday saw two more MLAs taking oath as ministers who have to their credit charges of murder and rioting. They are Dada Bhuse and Diwakar Raote of Shiv Sena adding to the list of the MPs and MLAs in New Delhi, Maharashtra and other states who despite facing serious charges against them have been made ministers.
[Dada Bhuse: After the 2006 terrorist attacks in Malegaon, Dada Bhuse was the only Hindu leader who openly declared that the heinous crime could not be the handiwork of local people.]
Dada Bhuse, three-time Shiv Sena MLA, who represents Malegaon (Outer) assembly seat, was a political novice till 2001. He rose to fame after the infamous October 2001 communal riots in Malegaon. He was alleged to have participated in the rioting and in the murder of ex-councilor Khaleel Ahmed.
Even as a criminal case was pending against him, he contested the assembly elections held in 2004 and comfortably defeated Prashant Hirey of the NCP and his nearest rival. He later won the 2009 and 2014 elections as well becoming the only Shiv-Sena leader in the region having retained the seat consecutively for three terms.
The October 2001 riots
October 26, 2001 was a Friday. Outside the Jama Masjid in Malegaon after the Friday prayers activists of a local NGO were distributing handbills that sought to boycott foreign goods. The handbills were labelled 'Be Indian, Buy Indian'.
A policeman, who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol, stopped the activists from distributing the handbills. This led to a small argument between the policeman and the activists. Police resorted to lathi charge and later firing. A mob, which was by then accumulated near the mosque, ran helter-skelter. In the melee, a tent erected on road in front of the nearby Mandir was slightly damaged. This was enough to give the incident a communal colour.
Hindus torched almost all the shops belonging to Muslims in the garage line area, and also razed to ground a mosque located inside the Diamond Mill compound. The compound was also looted and totally destroyed in the attack. Khaleel Ahmed, ex-councilor of the area, tried to save the mosque but he was brutally murdered by the attackers. The attackers, it was alleged, were led by Dada Bhuse. Dada Bhuse, a leader was born.
What is however interesting of Dada Bhuse is that after winning the 2004 state election, he meticulously worked to consolidate his support base in the constituency, considered as the unshakable bastion of the Hirey family, and simultaneously reached out to Muslims. He was not part of the ruling party and could not do much for his people. But, big or small, in case of any problem he was there to offer his services.
After the 2006 terrorist attacks in Malegaon, Dada Bhuse was the only Hindu leader who openly declared that the heinous crime could not be the handiwork of local people. Later investigations proved Bhuse right. He was now among the very few Shiv Sena leaders who enjoyed strong support from the Muslim community. In fact, Dada Bhuse himself admitted that, to assure him victory in the 2009 and 2014 state elections, the Muslims in his constituency voted en-bloc for him.
Dada Bhuse's becoming a minister has also been hailed by Hindus and Muslims alike. But, the fact remains that beneath the success story of Dada Bhuse lies the communal riot that had left 12 Muslims dead, and properties worth millions of rupees looted and set to fire.
1984 Bhiwandi Riots
On 17 May 1984, riots broke out in Bombay, Thane, and Bhiwandi after a saffron flag was placed at the top of a mosque. Of the total 278 people killed and 1,118 wounded, 146 dead and over 600 injured were in Bhiwandi.
[Diwakar Raote: In the run up to the latest assembly elections, Raote was the channel through which many Marathi-speaking Muslims approached the Shiv Sena, offering their support if the party fulfilled their demands.]
Jyoti Punwani in one of her recent article has noted that in September 1988, when Diwakar Raote was chairman of the Standing Committee of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), an audio recording of him trying to make Gujarati businessmen cough up money for his party, had created a furore. Annoyed by the paltry Rs.5,000 each that they had promised to cough up, Raote reminded them that his party had protected them during communal riots by 'killing' Muslims.
"In order to save the lives of your people in Bhiwandi, I have slaughtered Muslims taking a sword in my hand. Still, you don't know what Diwakar Raote is? I've carried you Gujaratis on my shoulders. In one riot we slaughtered 300-350 Muslims which your businessmen witnessed. What have you seen till now? I am not a goonda but when the time comes our leaders have taught us to take up arms."
The tape was made public by independent corporator Rustom Tirandaz, who had received it in a box of sweets sent to him for the Parsi New Year. However, the controversy didn't affect Raote's political career. Worse, Sharad Pawar, the then chief minister, did nothing. Three years later, Raote became the Mayor. When the Shiv Sena came to power, he became the revenue minister under Chief Minister Narayan Rane.
Ironically, Punwani wrote, in the run up to the latest assembly elections, Raote was the channel through which many Marathi-speaking Muslims approached the Shiv Sena, offering their support if the party fulfilled their demands.
Shortcut to power
The political careers of Dada Bhuse and Diwakar Raote are just two examples. Otherwise, reports appear after every election and cabinet formations how legislators with criminal records are 'awarded' ministerial berths and key posts. If the way BJP honoured the 'tainted' MLAs accused of inciting the Muzaffarnagar riots and Narendra Modi himself becoming prime minister despite facing similar charges are examples of recent past, reports after Devendra Fadnavis became Chief Minister of Maharashtra suggested that there are about twenty-two riot cases against him.
IndiaSpend, has analysed data to find that in the BJP majority Maharashtra assembly a whopping 165 of the 288 legislators have criminal cases against them. This is a 57%, an increase from the 46% in 2004 and 52% in 2009.
Of these 165 MLAs, nearly 70%, according to IndiaSpend, have serious criminal charges against them which include murder, attempt to murder, forgery and rioting. And in the list of crimes rioting is on top with at least 81 legislators charged with this grave crime, followed by hurt/assault on public servant (50) and cheating (31).
The BJP is the largest party with 122 seats in the Maharashtra assembly and also with the highest number of legislators–74 that constitutes 60% of its strength in the assembly– with criminal charges. It has the highest number of MLAs, 53, facing serious criminal charges. Shiv Sena is next with 48 of its 63 legislators, a good 76%, facing criminal charges.
These statistics confirm the study conducted by three Yale University political scientists who established the oft repeated fact that the BJP and other communal parties gain in polls after riots. Now, with those involved in rioting and violence occupying the high offices, it is to be seen if the prevailing situation shows any change or the ugly trend continues to dominate the Indian politics.
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