A day after the apex court upheld the clean chit to PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah says the court has held that a police officer, an NGO and some political elements together had spread falsehoods and that the post-Godhra riots were not well planned but ‘self-inflicted’ .
Home Minister Amit Shah has said the Supreme Court verdict upholding the Gujarat riots clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “very significant, less politically but more because of how the court has exposed how our topmost leader was victimised”, adding that a triad of “political parties opposing the BJP, some journalists and some NGOs–nursed by Opposition political parties–” had created an “ecosystem” to spread falsehoods, blowing up lies so much so that “everyone was under its influence, probably even the courts”.
The apex court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Zakia Jafri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was among the 68 killed at the Gulberg Society in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002.
The protest petition by Zakia and activist Teesta Setalvad had challenged the Supreme Court-appointed SIT’s clean chit to the then Gujarat chief minister, alleging that the investigation had ignored evidence. Modi was accused by the petitioners of having instructed senior officials to allow Hindus to vent their anger on the minority in the wake of the Godhra train carnage.
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The protest petition by Zakia and activist Teesta Setalvad had challenged the Supreme Court-appointed SIT’s clean chit to the then Gujarat chief minister, alleging that the investigation had ignored evidence. Modi was accused by the petitioners of having instructed senior officials to allow Hindus to vent their anger on the minority in the wake of the Godhra train carnage.
“Political parties opposing the BJP, some ideologically political journalists and some NGOs together gave such publicity to these allegations. They had such a strong ecosystem that people started believing the lies. It was a triad of NGOs, media and political parties nursing the media and NGOs…Our (BJP) government has never had an attitude to interfere with the media–not then (in 2002), not today. But the ecosystem back then blew up lies that everyone was under its influence, probably even the courts…Today when the judgment has come, it has been clearly stated — a police officer, an NGO and some political elements — that the three together spread falsehoods to sensationalise (the riots). The SIT too has submitted before the court that the depositions were false. Today the court has made clear that the government did its best to stop the riots, that the CM appealed repeatedly for peace and that the riots post the Godhra train burning incident was not well planned but self-inflicted. The court also dismissed the Tehelka sting operation because when the contextual footage came through, it was clear that the sting operation was politically motivated,” said Shah.
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“As far as the Gujarat government is concerned, there was no delay (in taking action). The day the bandh was called for, we had called the Army. It takes some time for the Army to arrive. The record is clear on that and even the court has appreciated it. But the Army headquarters is in Delhi… When so many Sikhs were killed, nothing was done for three days. How many SITs were set up? After our government came to power, an SIT (on the anti-Sikh riots) was set up. How many arrests were made? For so many years while the Opposition was in power, not a single arrest was made. And they are the ones making allegations against us of partiality?…It is not just me or Modi-ji or the BJP saying that we were wrongfully tagged (as a rioters’ party), but now the SC also says that there was an attempt to wrongfully tag us. Will you not abide by the Constitution in a democracy? Will you not believe the SC? A political statement or an SC verdict issued after considering all evidence–which is correct? It will have to be decided by the people as well as journalists. And if the opinion is in favour of the latter, then questions must be raised on the responsibility of journalists who made these accusations. They must be asked what was the basis of such allegations,” Shah said.
Shah further said, “The way the 60 people were burnt to death, there was anger in society. Until the riots happened, no one criticised it (the Sabarmati Express carnage at Godhra), except for the BJP. The Congress did not make a single statement. No one expressed sorrow, and a Parliament session was on. Today the SC has said that Zakia Jafri used to work at someone else’s behest. Many victims’ affidavits were signed by the NGO. Everyone knew Teesta Setalvad’s NGO was doing it. The UPA government helped Teesta Setalvad’s NGO a lot; the whole of Lutyens Delhi knows it. This was solely done to target Modi-ji, to tarnish his image, but truth triumphs.”
