After law against love jihad, now MP govt to bring law against stone pelters

After enacting a law against love jihad, the Madhya Pradesh government is mulling to bring a law against stone pelters. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said that stern action and a law were needed against those who indulge in stone pelting. "Stern action and a law are needed against stone-pelters. At times, stone pelting poses danger to life. They also cause damage to public and private properties. We are also planning to include provisions to recover damages caused during the incident from the accused," said Chouhan at a New Year gathering at BJP state president VD Sharma's residence. The chief minister's statement came in the wake of incidents of stone pelting on vehicle rallies in Ujjain, Indore and Mandsaur, taken out by VHP and right wing activists to raise awareness ahead of fundraising drive to be launched from January 14 by the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Chouhan said the law will have provisions to confiscate the property of those involved in the stone pelting incidents. He also instructed the bureaucrats during a video conference to act stringently against such elements. "Not only stone pelting, the miscreants sometimes damage public property and set them afire. Even personal assets are also damaged. They set someone's shop on fire, ransack it. It is an unforgivable crime," said the chief minister adding, "Someone can put forth his point in a peaceful manner and democracy allows it. But set things afire, ransacking, stone pelting cannot be allowed to anyone. The government has decided not only to take action against those who cause damage to public property, but the amount of damages will be recovered and strict punishment will be slapped. The property of the accused could also be confiscated."