A communal vs secular meet

The National Integration Council meeting turned out to be a play-off between the “communal’’ and “secular’’ forces. The BJP-NDA stood isolated as almost all the other members demanded a ban on the Bajrang Dal. There was, however, unanimity on the demand for a judicial probe into the Jamia Nagar encounter. But the Centre came in for flak for not doing enough to control the situation in Orissa and Karnataka — particularly from Left leaders who, while opposed to the dismissal of state governments under Article 356, wanted a stern warning issued under Article 355 to Orissa. National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan came in for attack from many members for his statement that a ban on the Bajrang Dal may not be sustainable. Barring the signal that the NIC was concerned about the communal flare-ups, parties and leaders stuck to their... [read full story]