Delhi protest on terror suspects suspended

An eight-day hunger strike here to protest "victimisation of Muslim youths in the name of fighting terrorism" was suspended on PM Manmohan Singh`s assurance to form a mechanism to look into the issue, an organiser said.

New Delhi: An eight-day hunger strike here to protest "victimisation of Muslim youths in the name of fighting terrorism" was suspended on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s assurance to form a mechanism to look into the issue, an organiser said. "We are suspending the strike for three months," Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) national general secretary Abdul Khaliq told IANS. The party Nov 26 launched the strike at Batla House Chowk in south Delhi`s Jamia Nagar - the site of a "controversial" gun battle in 2008 between alleged Indian Mujahideen terrorists and police following serial blasts in the city.

Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan Monday addressed the protestors and said: "The prime minister told an all-party delegation that he will speak to the home minister and address the issue." "The innocent youths will also be rehabilitated," Paswan said, adding that he also demanded fast track courts to settle terrorism-related issues. In view of the government`s assurance, Paswan asked the protestors, led by party`s national youth wing secretary general Amanatullah Khan, to suspend the strike for three months. The LJP protest was against the alleged illegal arrest and victimisation of Muslim youths by security agencies and to seek rehabilitation of those found innocent. Pawan earlier Monday accompanied Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India-Marxist and Mani Shankar Aiyar of the Congress and presented a memorandum on the issue to the prime minister. PTI