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BEFORE JUSTICE NANAVATI COMMISSION OF INQUIRY (Witness No: 141) Name : Shri Sharad Yadav On SA In 1984 I was one of the Secretaries of Lok Dal, Ch. Charan Singh was the President of that party. On 31.10.84 while we were in our party office, we had heard about the attack on Smt. Indira Gandhi. We had gone to the hospital where she was taken. After some time while we were returning, we had noticed the car of the President of India coming out of the hospital. At that time the President’s car was stoned. I had seen many people throwing stones at that car. We had thereafter returned to our party office at Windsor Place and were worried about what had happened as even the President of India’s car was not spared. During the day I had tried to contact others with a view to find out the situation within the city. On 1.11.84 I had started receiving reports about the incidents which were taking place in the city. Ch. Charan Singh had also told me about the various complaints which he had received. I had, therefore, gone to the party office. Near the party office there is a Taxi Stand in front of the Janpath Hotel. Many taxi operators there are Sikhs. By that time, huge mob had appeared near to that place and therefore, those taxi operators were worried. Apprehending some danger to them we had called them to our party office and provided shelter to them. The mobs had made repeated attempts to enter our party office and attack the Sikhs. They had pelted stones but were not able to enter the office premises as there were about 10 to 15 persons; most of them were workers of the party and we had told the crowd that we would not permit anyone to enter the party office and attack the Sikhs without first harming us. Meanwhile one Sikh who had not earlier come to our office to take shelter had also come running from taxi stand as he was attacked by the mob. We gave shelter to him and refused to send out all those Sikhs, even though the mob used to call upon us to do that. In the afternoon we had received information that the house of Shri Ram Bilas Paswan was attacked. I, therefore, went there alongwith my party workers. I could see the damage, which was caused to the bungalow. We had then brought Mr. Paswan and his family to Ch. Charan Singh’s bungalow. We had also by then received information regarding various serious incidents which had taken place within the city and which were taking place throughout the country. Therefore, Ch. Charan Singh, Shri Karpoori Thakur, myself and other leaders had gone to met the President of India. He had listened to us but most of the time remained silent. We feel that he was feeling helpless. He had told us to see the Home Minister. On that day we had twice met the Home Minister and impressed upon him for immediate action for maintenance of Law and Order. During our discussion with the Home Minister I could notice and that was also the feeling of other leaders who were with me, that he was almost indifferent, as he did not respond to our request for taking prompt action to curb the violence in the city. I and my party workers had prevented many attacks on the Sikhs and on their property. However, on 1.11.84 and 2.11.84 we could notice that administration responsible for maintenance of law and order was not responding properly. My feeling is that if they had made some serious efforts like us, many lives and properties of Sikhs could have been saved. During those days we had noticed that the Government machinery was not effective and was not responding properly to the task facing them. It also appeared to us that the persons responsible for law and order were avoiding the responsibility to maintain the law and order. On 1st and 2nd November 1984, I had also seen many trucks freely moving on the road and carrying the mobs. We had also moved around the city after the army was called. We could see widespread damage caused to the properties of Sikhs and loss of numerous lives. The feeling, which we got was that much of it could have been prevented if the administration responsible for law and order have taken appropriate steps. We also used to receive reports regarding incidents taking place in similar manner and similar indifference of the authorities at various other places in the country especially at places where Sikhs were residing in large number and particularly at Jabalpur, Dhanbad and Kanpur. Cross examination by Shri S.S. Gandhi, Senior Advocate on behalf of Delhi Police. We had told the Home Minister that the Law and Order machinery had become ineffective as if it was absent and was not taking proper steps. We had also told him that if we who were not properly armed could protect the Sikhs in our party office, the police and the authorities could maintain law and order to a considerable extent. I say that as soon as the military had moved in, all the incidents have stopped and the crowd had disappeared and that shows that if the law and order machinery had taken prompt and strict measures, then the attacks on Sikhs could have been controlled quickly and to a large extent. It is true that when the riots take place, the riotous mobs throw stones at the police. But I say that it is the job of the police to control those mobs and stop the riots. It is true that mobs on 1st November, 1984 and 2nd November, 1984 had formed spontaneously and there were waves of mobs. But according to me, when the car of the President of India was stoned on 31st October, 1984, the police and the Government should have anticipated the anger of the people and taken steps which were required to be taken. The police should have also realized that interested persons might instigate violent incidents. According to me, the authorities had failed to take prompt and immediate steps. The incidents could take place throughout the city in large numbers. According to me various incidents in the city had taken place as no determination was shown by the administration to check the violence. No cross examination by Shri Ashok Kashyap, Advocate on behalf of Central Government.
Read over and found correct.
(SHARAD YADAV)
(G.T. NANAVATI )
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