NEW DELHI: Civil society activists, intellectuals, lawyers joined forces with Muslim and Christian groups to urge the Congress-led UPA government to bring the Communal and Targeted Violence Bill to Parliament in the upcoming winter session, especially in the wake of Muzaffarnagar riots .

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, they reminded him of the promise of a "comprehensive legislation that would strengthen the hands of the citizens to secure justice".

"The recent outbreak of communal violence in Muzaffarnagar once again reminds us of the urgent and dire need for a law against communal and targeted violence," they said. They sent copies of the letter to home minister, law minister and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

On Tuesday, Maulana Mahmood Madani of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind shared the dais with Shabnam Hashmi of ANHAD, lawyer-activist Vrinda Grover to mount pressure on the Centre.

"The Congress had promised in 2004 and also in the common minimum programme of UPA 1 that it will bring the legislation. We are still waiting even as the country is traumatized in riot after riot," said Madani.

Urging the government for the legislation, they said, "The primary focus of (the Bill) should be to secure accountability of public servants and to hold them responsible for communal and targeted violence, as well as make provision for providing reparative justice to all victims and survivors of such violence."

They suggested inclusion of about 11 provisions, including robust protection of witnesses and victims and to recognize and respect rights of internally displaced persons as prescribed by the UN.

"These 11 points are non-negotiable. Any Bill without these is not acceptable," said Hashmi.

Since 2005, when the Communal and Targeted Violence Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha, there have been several drafts, but these have been rejected by civil society and those fighting for the legislation.

"If UPA kept its promise, the Muzaffarnagar riots, which are so similar to the 2002 Gujarat riots, would not have happened," said Hashmi.

Activists and community leaders rubbished views of some political parties, including the BJP , that the Bill was anti-majority.

Grover said, "It would be a challenge for the BJP to prove that the Bill is anti-majority. It should protect all targeted communities, including the Hindus, in a violence."

Reports of various commissions on communal riots have shown that minorities — Muslims, Sikhs or Christians — or even linguistic minorities and dalits are hurt most. "But, when riot erupts majority community members, too, are affected. So, we want riot victims of all communities be treated the same for relief and reparation," said Madani.

They demanded the Congress build political consensus and bring the Bill in the upcoming session.

