Ansari voices concern over rights violations by forces

New Delhi: Voicing concern over human rights violations by police and security forces, Vice President Hamid Ansari on Friday said the situation is acute in Jammu and Kashmir, Northeast and Naxal-belt from where complaints are received about misuse of laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

He also said that religious minorities in the country continue to be targeted despite constitutional guarantees and that the pattern of systematic mobilisation of hate and divisive politics is discernible, in many cases pursued with impunity.

"Some of the most serious human rights violations by the State vis-a-vis its citizens are abuses by the police and security forces, including extra-judicial killings, custodial deaths, torture, arbitrary detention and widespread corruption at all levels of government, leading to denial of justice,"

"This is particularly acute in areas of internal conflict, such as Jammu and Kashmir, Northeast, and the Naxal belt where serious complaints about the misuse of laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) or the Public Safety Act (PSA) continue to be made," Ansari said while delivering the '8th Tarkunde Memorial Lecture' on the subject 'Citizens and State Conduct'.

Talking about religious minorities, he said they continue to be the "target of violence and discrimination despite the constitutional and legal guarantees" and "Patterns of systematic mobilisation of hate and divisive politics are discernible; in many cases these have been pursued with impunity."

Cautioning that social tensions will undermine the development agenda, he said "the issue of finding a balance between traditional rights of citizens, with environmental imperatives and economic objectives will have to be addressed by State" as the country embarks on the path of rapid economic growth and development.