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German team expresses concern over human rights in state
And what does the government do
Ahmedabad : Expressing serious concern over alienation of minorities in the state, an unofficial delegation of parliamentarians from ruling and opposition parties of Germany said on Thursday that their country wanted to have good relations with India and Gujarat but not at the cost of human rights.
The delegation comprised Ute Granold, MP of the ruling Christian Democrat Union; Pascal Kober, MP of the opposition Free Democrat Party; Jan Bittner, chairman of the CDU parliamentary group; and Otmar Oehring, director of MISSO, a human rights NGO.
Addressing a select group of mediapersons here, the delegation members said that Chief Minister Narendra Modi could not be allowed in any of the member countries of the European Union declaring him as persona non grata.
The position with regard to Modi cannot be changed as of now because too many things happened in 2002. Many questions are being asked about his role in the riots. Eight years have passed and a probe about his role is in progress and hence Modi cant be allowed in the European Union countries, including Germany. It is unacceptable, said a delegation member.
German team expresses concern over human rights in state
The delegation will submit its report to the German parliamentary committee on human rights situation in Orissa and Gujarat. The delegation members said it was the duty of the parliament and assemblies to try to improve relations between religious groups but several groups have reported that this was not happening in Gujarat.
Regarding German investment in Gujarat, a member said: Gujarat seems to be doing quite well economically but our understanding is that economic development cannot be at the cost of human rights. The two things, they said, should go together and not in isolation.
According to the delegation, developments in the state pertaining to human rights issues could have a bearing on future relations between Germany and India.
And what does the government do
No issue with Modi as head of Working Group'
NEW DELHI: Congress today saw no issue in Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi becoming the Chairman of a Working Group on Consumer Affairs, saying a person holding a Constitutional post holds several ex-officio positions too.
"As chief minister and holding a Constitutional position, one holds several ex-officio positions," party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters here.
Modi, a bete noire of the Congress, was made the Chairman of a Working Group on Consumer Affairs, which will look into the larger issue of state control of retail prices among other issues.
This was one of the three committees announced by the government after a high-level meeting of chief ministers with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday.
Asked about Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan not sharing a dias with Amitabh Bachchan and now Modi being made the Chairman of a Working Group, Singhvi said the two issues were "unlinkable".
He said the party had a right to take a decision not to go for an official function but had never asked for a boycott of Bachchan.
'No issue with Modi as head of Working Group'
