Ahmedabad: Apparently emboldened by the Supreme Court’s refusal to pass any order on his alleged inaction to contain the riots after the Godhra train burning incident, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “God is great.”
The Supreme Court Monday directed a trial court to hear a petition by Zakia Jafri, widow of former MP Ehsan Jafri who was killed in the Gulberg Society carnage during the 2002 riots, against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
The petition alleged deliberate inaction on the part of Modi, his cabinet colleagues and some high-ranking state officials.
The SIT team headed by former CBI head RK Raghavan had in February submitted its report on the riots to the Supreme Court.
Though the SIT report, which was leaked to media, does not directly indict Modi for the riots due to lack of evidence, his role has been criticized for trying to downplay the seriousness of the incidents, reports said.
His comment that "every action has an equal and opposition reaction" on the Godhra riots has been particularly criticised in the report.
Modi-baiters have been consistently accusing him of aiding the post-Godhra rioters in 2002, a charge he has vehemently denied.
Today’s SC ruling is also politically important for Modi as it may hasten the process of his moving to national politics ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls.
Undoubtedly, Modi has, over the years, developed a cult image. Hidutva poster boy, Gujarat CEO, the adages are aplenty for the former RSS pracharak but the riots cases have been the albatross around his neck.
Gujarat government in its first official reaction to the SC verdict said due process of law has been completed and that there is no evidence of criminal conspiracy against Modi.
Government spokesperson Jai Narayan Vyas said that riot victims could have got justice far earlier had it not been for certain organisations out to tarnish the image of the Chief Minister. He reiterated that the state government will do all it can to provide succour to the riot victims.
Courtsey:Zee News
