Muslim MPs flay Assam govt for failing to contain violence

Several Muslim MPs, including three from Congress led by former Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha K Rahman Khan, today expressed loss of confidence in the Congress government in Assam demanding central intervention to end the ethnic clashes there.

The MPs, who met Home Minister P Chidambaram today, had also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday seeking effective steps to control the situation in Assam. "There is failure somewhere.

We have lost confidence in state government's ability to control violence and demanded central intervention," Khan, a senior parliamentarian of Congress, told reporters after meeting Chidambaram.

The Muslim MPs, who met the Home Minister, included K Rahman Khan, Asrarul Haque Ashk Ali Tak (all three Congress), NCP's Tariq Anwar, Sabir Ali (JD-U), Mohammed Adeeb and Ahmed Saeed Malihabadi (Independent).

They said they have "never seen such kind of ethnic violence in India". "The situation is very tense and something has to be done urgently. The state government has not been able to control the situation.

We have asked for central intervention," Khan said. The former Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha alleged it was an ethnic clash where a large number of Muslims were killed. "The MPs also stated that they have no faith in the state government as it has totally failed in its duties to maintain the law and order," a press release from Khan's office said.