Bhatt security: Actors,academics write to PC

A day after The Indian Express reported that the Gujarat government was withdrawing the security cover to IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt

A day after The Indian Express reported that the Gujarat government was withdrawing the security cover to IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt,who recently filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court claiming CM Narendra Modi backed the 2002 rioters,leading citizens from across the country today made a joint submission to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram,urging him to to ensure Bhatt and his family are given protection.

The letter makes a mention of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya,who was assassinated after making accusations similar to Bhatts while deposing before the Citizens Tribunal headed by Justice V R Krishna Iyer,which had probed the 2002 riots.

In the background of these circumstances and the prevailing condition of no tolerance to any dissent in Gujarat,todays media report about the withdrawal of Sanjiv Bhatts security comes as a rude shock and is very disturbing, said the signatories who signed the letter under the aegis of activist Shabnam Hashmi-led Anhad. The letter said the Gujarat government has penalised serving officers for stopping 2002 riots in their jurisdiction.

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The letter stressed that Bhatt is entitled to witness protection programme in accordance with the SCs directive in respect of witnesses in riot cases.

The signatories included actors Naseeruddin Shah,Farooq Sheikh and Sharmila Tagore,dancer Aditi Mangaldas,historians Mushirul Hasan,K N Panicker and Irfan Habib,politicians Ram Vilas Paswan,D Raja,Dansih Ahmed,singer Shubha Mudgal,writer Gita Hariharan,activists Shabnam Hashmi,Gagan Sethi,Indukumar Jani,and scores of others including scholars,journalists,activists and academics.

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