Gujarat police was anti-Muslim

Fact: Far from it, the police was slow to act on Muslim fanatics for fear of being called ‘anti-Muslim’ by the media. As many as 199 people were shot dead by the police in Gujarat- i.e. killed in police firing in the entire period of rioting, including 98 in the first 3 days, which is a record of sorts. The Times of India reported on 28 April 2002 that until 27 April 2002 a total of 170 people had been killed in police firing. After that, more died in police firing till the Army began leaving Ahmedabad on 21 May 2002, to take the final toll to 199.

Muslims greeted the police, and also the army, with bullets and turned off the power supply and made life hell, and also started riots and accused the police of being biased, when the police came to search for armories in Muslim areas [Source: India Today, 15 April 2002]. For fear of being labeled anti-Muslim, the police failed to do their duty.

The official records show that as many as 552 security personnel were injured trying to control the riots- 83 officers, 419 men and 50 Home Guard. Exactly how many lost their lives is not revealed. Many policemen lost their lives as well, like when a mob burnt alive a policeman in Juhapura on 1st March 2002 as reported by The Hindu the next day, or in Ahmedabad’s Gomtipur area on 21 April 2002- Ramnavami Day, when constable Amar Patil was stabbed to death.

India Today weekly in its issue dated 20 May 2002, clearly admits that, far from being anti-Muslim, the Gujarat police did not act speedily against Muslim fanatics and rioters, for fear of being called anti-Muslim by the biased and partisan media.

The India Today weekly report dated 20 May 2002 says-“A series of attacks on policemen by Muslims has further added to the lack of faith. Now, strapped with the anti-Muslim label, the police has been slow in acting against Muslim fanatics”.

See the link- http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/20020520/states2.html

This will contain the above sentence in the 6th paragraph from the top.

A moderate Muslim resident of Gujarat, who was a witness to these riots, told this writer that the perception of the police being anti-Muslim led to attacks on policemen by Muslims.This perception was fueled by the mainstream media.

The Gujarat Police saved at least 24,000 Muslims from certain death in the first three days-in places like Sanjeli, Bodeli, and Viramgam in particular.

Link- http://www.india-today.com/itoday/20020422/states.shtml

See passages 2,3 and 4 from the top.

Gujarat police shot dead 98 people in the first 3 days-majority of whom are Hindus. The Police arrested most of the accused for rioting. Also The Times of India in a report titled “More fall prey to police firings in Gujarat” dated 28 April 2002 says that a total of 35,552 people were arrested for rioting in Gujarat- out of whom 27,901 were Hindus.

See link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/More-fall-prey-to-police-firings-in-Gujarat/articleshow/8283550.cms

Moreover, the prosecution of the police was so efficient that until now, at least 484 people have been convicted for rioting in Gujarat-out of whom at least 373 are Hindus.