Not a shred of evidence against Narendra Modi: Arun Jaitley

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley has claimed that there is not a shred of evidence against Narendra Modi and the Gujarat Chief Minister is the victim of huge propaganda against his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

In the 2002 Gujarat riots case, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to file its final report before the lower court in Ahmedabad while refusing to pass any order on his alleged inaction to contain the riots after the Sabarmati Express train burning incident.

The apex court observed that the trial court will decide on the application in accordance with law after directing the SIT to its submit final report in the Ehsan Jafri murder case related to the riots at Gulbarg Society in Ahmedabad.

Observing that the court will not monitoring the 2002 Gujarat riots cases, the three judge-bench of justices DK Jain, P Sathasivam and Aftab Alam observed that the magistrate will have to hear the plea of slain MP Ehsan Jafri's widow Zakia Jafri, who had filed a complaint against the Gujarat Chief Minister.

As the apex court on Monday provided a major relief to Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots case, Leder of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said CNN-IBN Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai that the guilty must be punished and an innocent can't be dragged in.

Rajdeep Sardesai: Let me ask you directly, would you concede that the order is not a clean chit for Narendra Modi but it is at best a breather, because the judicial process will continue in a lower court based on the evidence that is then provided before it?

Arun Jaitley: Well, I am not willing to answer your questions, which has an added agenda to it. The fact is that there is a due process of law. The due process of law is that if a crime has been committed, the persons who are guilty must be punished.

In this case there has been an investigation first by Gujarat Police, then by SIT, then re-investigated by SIT and then third time re-investigated by SIT. Obviously they didn't find a shred of evidence against him (Modi). The court says that the due process must go on and now please file your supplementary chargesheet as far as the trial court is concerned.

The case is already pending in the trial court. Narendra Modi is not an accused; there is no evidence against him. There are people who are accused, trial will go on in those matters, and the court will follow all its procedures. Therefore to get into this whole game, where there is no evidence against him, whether it's a vindication or it's a clean chit - I'm not willing to get into this propaganda. It is the matter of the criminal justice system where the guilty must be punished and an innocent can't be dragged in.

Rajdeep Sardesai: The fact is that the victims have got no closure. Eight hundred people died, only a handful of accused have been successfully prosecuted. The longer it drags on, the less the chances are of the guilty being punished.

Arun Jaitley: Nine cases were referred to the SIT. In all nine cases, the SIT investigated the case and filed chargesheets, and trial is going on. Obviously those people who are guilty will be punished and they will have their rights as far as the accused is concerned. I'm not concerned with that issue. In none of those cases Mr Modi is an accused or there is a shred of evidence against him.

Rajdeep Sardesai: Do you believe that Narendra Modi has been victimised?

Arun Jaitley: I believe that there was huge propaganda (against Modi), and in a case where there is a criminal trial propaganda can never be hard evidence. I do believe that there wasn't a shred of evidence against him. It was all propaganda, a fact which is now coming to be established even further.

Rajdeep Sardesai: But Mr Jaitley at the end of the day the fact is that the guilty have not been brought to book. Eight hundred people died in Gujarat and only few cases have been successfully prosecuted; surely to that extent the anger amongst the victims is justified. In that sense, it even goes well beyond Narendra Modi, the anger is justified.

Arun Jaitley: Again you are factually wrong. Gujarat riot are the only riots in the country where the guilty has been investigated, guilty has been chargesheeted and many have been convicted. Compare this with the 1984 Sikh riots in Delhi, where people in years and decades have not been prosecuted and the entire evidence was about to die down. On the contrary, in every case in Gujarat, investigations are done, people have been prosecuted, people have been actually punished. Therefore to just use a sentence that the guilty has not been punished may not be factually correct.

Rajdeep Sardesai: Mr Jaitley there is also this could that is hung around Narendra Modi, which many believe, has hurt his national ambition. From your perspective, given what has happened today, should he have that taint around him anymore, will it continue till such time as this trial continues, will he now be importantly considered by your party, the BJP, for a larger national role?

Arun Jaitley: Well the taint will come only if there is evidence, the taint can't come on the basis of propaganda that is not backed by evidence.

Rajdeep Sardesai: OK, you are saying that there is absolutely no evidence against Narendra Modi. Presumably he then has a larger role to play Mr Jaitley. Appreciate your joining us, giving us an understanding of where the BJP stands at the moment.

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