After anti-conversion law, MP to introduce law against stone pelters

Bhopal, Jan 4: After the Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020, the Madhya Pradesh government is all set to bring a stringent law against stone pelters, which will have a provision to auction their assets to repay for any damage caused to public property or an individual, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

 

 

The statement of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has come at a time when there have been incidents of stone-pelting in three different - Ujjain, Indore, and Mandsaur districts - back to back.

 

Addressing media persons in Bhopal on Sunday, the CM said that "stone pelters are enemies of the society". He said stone-pelting is no ordinary crime as it could result in deaths, spread terror and chaos and disrupt law and order. "Stone pelting is not an ordinary crime. It can also kill people, it creates an atmosphere of fear and terror, causing panic and chaos. Such criminals are not ordinary criminals, they will not be left out. Until now, we were taking minor action but now we are making a law for severe punishment to stone pelters," Chouhan said.

 

He further said that not only stones, many times the public property, as well as private properties, are damaged and even set on fire. "Setting shops on fire and damaging properties is an unforgivable crime. Democracy allows protests in a peaceful manner but setting private or public properties on fire and sabotaging it is not allowed. Therefore, our government has decided not only to take strict action against those who damage public and private property but also to recover the losses by attaching properties of the accused," the chief minister said.

 

He said stone-pelting apart, such offenders often resort to damaging public property and arson, even burning down homes and shops. "While people have a right to raise their issues peacefully in a democracy, no one has the liberty to damage public property," the CM said.

 

Under the new law, those damaging public property will not only face stringent punishment but will also have to pay for the damage. If need be, their properties will be put up for auction to pay for the damage. Even if private properties are wilfully wrecked, the guilty would have to pay for the losses incurred by the owners. "I have given instructions to formulate these laws and work on it has already started," Chouhan said.