THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), in a statement issued on December 11, has condemned the barbaric murder of an innocent migrant worker Afrazul in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan on December 6, by axing and burning him alive and videographing and uploading the episode in social media as an act of bravery against the purported ‘love jihad’. Afrazul hailed from Malda district of West Bengal,

The killing of innocent minorities, to foment communal hatred and division, has repeatedly been taking place in the country, more so in Rajasthan, since BJP came to power at the centre.

The Rajasthan state government is guilty of ignoring Supreme Court’s order on protecting the innocents against such attacks and appointing nodal police officers in all districts. Instead, police in Rajasthan is busy in cover up exercise of such attacks.

Another vital issue involved in the gruesome murder of Afrazul is about protection of safety, rights and livelihood of migrant workers, both inside and outside the country, which have become important issues of the trade union movement at national, international levels and in the ILO.

CITU demands of Rajasthan government to immediately arrest the culprits involved in the murder of the migrant worker Afrazul and in the hate propaganda through social media; adequate compensation to the bereaved family; implementation of apex court’s order against such attacks and measures to protect all migrant workers in the state.

In a separate statement issued on December 8, the All India Kisan Sabha extended condolences to the bereaved family of Afrazul.

The atmosphere created by the politics of hate spread by the Sangh Parivar and its affiliates has encouraged and emboldened such criminals to carry out attacks on minorities. AIKS felt that while the perpetrator of the crime Shambhulal Regar has to be punished according to law, the innumerable Hindutva ideologues who spread communal venom and hatred as well as the BJP governments that have condoned violent communal attacks are even more culpable of the crime.

The incident in Rajsamand is the most recent of the series of killings of Muslim dairy farmers, cattle traders, killings of rationalists, journalists and writers that have been going on with impunity across the country with overt and covert support of even those in the government.

AIKS has called upon all its units to protest against the gruesome killing of Mohammed Afrazul and also launch an intensive campaign against the Sangh Parivar and its politics of hate. A team from Bengal Kisan Sabha will visit the family.

THE national working committee of the Construction Workers Federation of India has condemned the inhuman barbaric murder of Afzarul, a migrant construction worker who belonged to Saiyadpur village in Malda district of West Bengal. CWFI, in a statement issued on December 8, has observed that since the Modi government came to power in the country and the Vasundhara Raje government assumed power in Rajasthan, ultra Hindutva outfits have been launching relentless attacks on minorities in the name of saving the country from ‘love jihad’ or in the name of cow vigilantism. CWFI demanded that the centre and the Rajasthan government must ensure safety of migrant construction workers and ensure that the culprits are brought to book and that the families of the victims are compensated adequately and assured of justice.