Gurmeet Ram Rahim convicted of rape: CPI demands Manohar Lal Khattar's resignation over Haryana violence

Hyderabad: The CPI on Saturday sought the resignation of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, saying the BJP government in the state has “horribly failed” to deal with the violence following the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case. CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy also demanded tough measures by the Centre to bring the situation back to normal in Punjab and Haryana. [caption id=“attachment_3975521” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. PTI[/caption] “They have horribly failed. So, Khattar should not continue as the chief minister of Haryana,” he told reporters in Hyderabad. “This is Khattar’s second failure. He had earlier failed to maintain law and order during the Jat reservation stir,” Reddy said. At least 30 people were killed and 250 injured in violence, arson and police firing in Haryana after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of rape by a CBI court in Panchkula on Friday. Alleging that “intolerance” of the ruling BJP and “attacks on minorities in the name of cow protection” were continuing, he said even former vice-president Hamid Ansari had voiced concern over the situation in the country. The BJP, instead of heeding to such voices, has reacted in an intolerant manner to Ansari over his comments, Reddy alleged. Pointing out that the BJP did not give ticket to a single Muslim in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly polls earlier this year, the CPI leader said it demonstrated the saffron party’s attitude towards minorities. He said, “There cannot be inclusive democracy if intolerance and attacks on minorities continued.” Criticising the NDA government’s economic policies, Reddy alleged while it wrote off bank loans of big corporates, the common people were burdened with various levies and the interest rates were reduced to cover up the loss. Click here to follow LIVE updates