Author:
Publication: Press Trust of India
Date: August 25, 2003
Several residents of majority community
dominated parts of city's highly sensitive Dariapur area on Monday told
the two-member Nanavati riot inquiry panel that Muslims of their area were
trying to drive them away from their home and take away their properties.
"Muslims are still trying to buy
off houses owned by Hindus to take over the area," the riot victims told
Justice (Retd) GT Nanavati and Justice (Retd) KG Shah of the two-man panel
during its third phase of hearing.
Bharat Modi, a resident of Bhanderi
ni Pol in Dariapur said that on February 28 last year, Muslims began throwing
stones in Hindu dominated areas while loud speaker from mosque kept on
announcing "Nara-e-Takbir, Allah-O-Akber, Kafiron ko kat dalo".
"Police came and controlled the
situation, but the menace is still continuing today," he said.
Modi also claimed that Muslim mobs
had thrown gas cylinders at his house.
Mohammed Hussein Bharijia, an advocate
and a former Congress MLA from the area held that the Government-administration
and the police was responsible for communal tension during post-Godhra
communal violence.
Bharajia alleged that local anti-social
elements had connived with politicians to create tension in the area.
Another riot victim Alpesh Thakker,
a teacher said that Muslim miscreants regularly used to harass his students
by throwing stones and marbles at them to "incite communal tensions".
