Parthiv Patel's father 'bats for Hindus'

AHMEDABAD: The prime aim of Muslims residing in the sensitive area of Kalupur in the walled city is to convert it into a Muslim-dominated area, said Ajay Patel, father of India’s cricket sensation Parthiv Patel, as he deposed before the Nanavati-Shah Commission here on Wednesday, the third day of its second phase of hearings.
“The Hindu population in the area has reduced by almost 50 per cent, as many families have moved out of Kalupur out of fear,� said Patel, a former BJP councillor, as he talked about ‘frequent acts of intimidation and violence by Muslims in the area’.Patel, a resident of Dhanasuthar-ni-Pole, said, “Hindus in the area are being harassed by Muslims constantly to wrest control over their property�. Patel was joined by a number of people from the area, belonging to the majority community in deposing before Justice (retd) GT Nanavati and Justice (retd) KG Shah.
“The Hindus residing in Kalupur are a minority in the area and are hence subjected to tremendous mental torture and harassment,� said Vishnu Parmar. Former BJP MLA Bhupendra Khatri told the commission that ‘the area presents an example of activities that can be termed Islamic terrorism’. Stating that Muslims never spared an opportunity in the area to come down upon the Hindus, Khatri said ‘loud speakers mounted on mosques are being used to instigate unrest in the area’.
“When the situation in the entire city was heading towards normalcy and Muslims families of the area were preparing to send their children to take board examination, anti-socials in the area began spreading rumours, trying to cause tension,� Khatri added. Dilipbhai, another resident of the area, told the commission that the madrassa at Khiskola-ni-pole should be closed down as it was being used for various anti-social activities. “Muslims destroyed a temple and attacked three houses belonging to Hindus after the police post at Tambu chowki was removed,� said another resident Vinod Kadia.
“I was injured and yet had to flee with my four-day-old kid when Muslims from the neighbourhood attacked us on February 28,� said Laxmiben, a resident of Panchpatti, as she showed her scars caused by an acid attack. Alleging that the Muslims in the area do not even let them use the common well, she said, “We are threatened and asked to leave the place every now and then.� “Though a number of Hindu families have left, members of the Muslim community come to us personally, asking us to vacate the place,� alleged Sheetal Dhobi, another resident of Panchpatti. Jayantilal Somnath Nayak of Targalawad said that a new trend emerged during the riots as Hindus were being driven of their homes out so that property could be taken over.
“As Hindu families are vacating their houses, property are being sold at one-third the market price,� said Nayak. While Himmat Trambaklal said that 32 families out of 56 have left Dhanasuthar-ni-Pole, another resident, Rajendra Vyas, alleged that driving out Hindus was an organised assault launched by an antisocial-turned-builder, Farooq Dilliwalah, who is now on building spree in the area. Alleging police atrocities, residents of Kalupur said many innocent Hindu families have been ‘falsely implicated’ in cases of rioting.
“I was named in a case of rioting though shrapnel from a crude bomb, that was lobbed into the house of one Hansaben in Mahajanwada, affected my right eye,� said Dilip Sompura. However, the police role was lauded by Bano Munshi Sheikh of Haronwala-ni-Pole, Nizam Mohammad Pathan of Panch Kuan and Hyder Fida Hussain of Zakaria Masjid.