Indians For Guns

Brothers in arms gun for PC
SANJAY K. JHA
New Delhi, Aug. 18:

Question: What does it take to unite India’s politicians?

Answer: Guns.


Their love of the weapon, ostensibly, prompted a motley group of MPs from various parties to follow Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh today to the Prime Minister to complain against the Union home minister. Their grouse: P. Chidambaram plans to make gun licences harder to obtain for ordinary citizens.

The team included Jaswant Singh, S.S. Ahluwalia and Shahnawaz Hussain from the BJP; Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh from the Samajwadi Party; and Naveen Jindal, Anil Lad, Sanjay Singh, Fransisco Sardinhia, Manish Tewari and Rakesh Singh from the Congress.

Digvijay led them on behalf of the National Association of Guns Rights in India (Nagri) in his capacity as its chief patron. Nagri members said the cross-party representation was not surprising at all, and claimed that around 500 MPs were ready to join their campaign.

The team told Manmohan Singh that the unprotected villagers would be hit the worst by the amendments to the Arms Act Chidambaram was planning, making police verification mandatory for a gun licence and requiring applicants to prove grave and imminent threat to their lives.

The MPs criticised the provision that makes the Union home ministry the licensing authority, taking the responsibility away from the state governments. They handed a memorandum to the Prime Minister, who promised a fresh look at the proposed amendments, sources said.

Asked why the MPs had not met Chidambaram first , Nagri sources said the home minister had not given them an appointment despite requests.

Digvijay’s move comes amid his running battle with Chidambaram over the home minister’s approach to the Maoist threat.