In a joint appeal to the public to maintain peace and harmony amid violent clashes across several states, 13 Opposition leaders on Saturday, 16 April, expressed "shock" at the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that his silence on the communal violence proved that the alleged perpetrators enjoyed the patronage of the ruling government.
"We are shocked at the silence of the Prime Minister, who has failed to speak against the words and actions of those who propagate bigotry and those who, by their words and actions, incite and provoke our society. This silence is an eloquent testimony to the fact that such private armed mobs enjoy the luxury of official patronage," the joint appeal, signed by the leaders of opposition parties, stated.