"Nazi-type" vermillion crosses spotted on Ahmedabad's minority houses? Effort at pre-poll communal divide alleged

By A Representative
Well-known human rights site, www.sabrangindia.in, run by Teesta Setalvad, who has fought several cases for the 2002 anti-minority Gujarat riot victims, has claimed to have found that several of the Muslim houses in different parts of Ahmedabad have been identified and crossed, alleging these are similar to the "Nazi Germany like red cross markings" on Jew houses.
While the Gujarat officials have reportedly denied the Sabrangindia report, saying that the vermillion crosses were for garbage collection, the site has quoted local Muslims who reside in Ahmedabad as saying: "How come then only Muslim homes had these crosses?", adding, other media, meanwhile, have begun investigating on how this has happened.

According to Sabrangindia, "The communal demon is at it again. Desperate to polarise an electorate ahead of the upcoming state elections, a sinister deep vermillion cross ‘X’ has been spotted in different spots all over Ahmedabad", wondering whether the Election Commission of India in Delhi and its office in Gujarat would act.
Sabrangindia believes, "The flats/apartments following colonies with the sinister vermillion cross are: Aman colony (corner flats), Tagore flats, Al Aman flats and the Faize-e-Mohammadi society... It is clear that when all else is not working, the extreme right wing majority communal forces are bent on polarising the Gujarati electorate. Besides in the Paldi area too, the Muslim societies have been marked with the mysterious cross."

The site continues, "In addition, other posters warning against ‘Paldi becoming another Juhapura’ have emerged in the city. An example of this was visible in Paldi, a Hindu majority area located in southwestern Ahmedabad. A banner called upon voters to prevent the area from turning into another Juhapura – a Muslim dominated neighbourhood in New West Zone of the city."
Sabrangindia contends that "on a saffron background, the banner said ‘Bachawo, Bachawo' (Save, Save), followed by this dire call: 'Paldi Ne Juhapura Thatu Atkavo' (Prevent Paldi from turning into Juhapura).' It was spotted at Paldi Mahalakshmi circle."
It adds, "The banner did not have any symbol of a political party nor did it carry the name of who was issuing this scary call. After being on display for some hours, it was removed by unknown people after some local residents objected to it."
Juhapura is a mammoth Muslim ghetto situated seven kilometres away from the city centre of Ahmedabad, the business capital of Gujarat. With a population of about 1,00,000 before the 2002 Gujarat riots, the population has grown to close to 6,00,000 thereafter.

"Paldi, on the hand, is a mixed locality with both Hindu and Muslim pockets. Corporate offices and city centres of many national and multinational companies such as Gujarat Gas, WaghBakri Tea Group, Claris, Religare, Royal Bank of Scotland and ICICI Bankare located here", Sabrangindia says.
It adds, Paldi comes under the Ellisbridge Assembly constituency, once represented by Haren Pandya, an anti-Modi BJP leader who was murdered in 2003 in mysterious circumstances.