Mumbai violence was pre-planned, says BJP

Mumbai: Police as well as Maharashtra Home Department had "credible" information about possibility of violence at Azad Maidan during the August 11 protest organised by minority community groups, but they failed to take any step to prevent it, Opposition BJP claimed on Saturday.

"A woman residing in suburban Bandra had intimated Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 8 and 9) on August 9 through a letter that she has got credible information that some anti-social elements would indulge in violence (during the protest)," state BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said at a press conference.

He showed the letter, written in Marathi, to the media persons, but declined to reveal the identity of the woman.

The August 11 protest was organised to denounce alleged atrocities on the minority community in Assam and Myanmar.

The letter says members from the Salim Lightwala gang were planning large-scale violence at the venue, to drive home the point that the riots - in which two persons were killed and several others, mostly policemen and media persons, were injured - was a planned act, Bhandari said.

The August 11 protest was organised by Raza Academy and some other groups to denounce alleged atrocities on the minority community in Assam and Myanmar.

The BJP leader also displayed a photograph which shows Maulana Moin Miyan, a member of Raza Academy, with Home Minister RR Patil and Minister of State for Housing Sachin Ahir (both belong to NCP) at an 'iftar' party.

"The government is responsible for the violence. They had information about it two days prior to the incident. The person in the photograph with Patil is one of the accused in the violence," Bhandari added.

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