Narendra Modi to face riots probe again

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he had fulfilled his duties by appearing before the Special Investigation Team investigating the 2002 riots in the state--the first time he explained his role in controlling the violence.

“I have said earlier that the Constitution and law of the land are supreme and as a citizen and Chief Minister I am bound by the Constitution and law of the land,” said Modi after deposing before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for almost five hours.

Modi announced that he would return to the SIT office at 9 pm to resume his deposition. “The questioning is not yet complete although I told them to ask me everything today itself,” he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said SIT had written him a letter asking him to appear before it on March 27.

“If people have doubts I would like to clarify that the SIT that has been appointed by the Supreme court has done the questioning. There is no (police) officer of Gujarat in SIT. It is working on directions of Supreme Court,” he said.

“I have said that nobody is above law--today my action and gesture have answered my critics. My appearance here is a "karara jawab" (fitting reply) to my detractors. I have given a resounding reply to those who doubted my intentions. I hope such talks by vested interests will stop," Modi said.

Modi, 59, drove to the SIT office around noon at the old state secretariat building in Gandhinagar. He had been summoned to depose in connection with a complaint filed by Zakia Jaffery, widow of former Congress MP Eshan Jaffery, who was killed in the riot at Gulburg Society in Ahmedabad along with 69 others.

SIT chief R K Raghavan was not present at the office. A K Malhotra, the second senior most officer in the SIT, is believed to be questioning the chief minister. Modi did not have lawyers or aides during the questioning.

Elaborate security arrangements were made at the SIT office where media persons had assembled since morning.

Clad in a crisp white kurta and pyjama, Modi greeted the waiting media persons with folded hands after alighting from his car and proceeding to the SIT building.

68 questions

CNN-IBN learns that the SIT had prepared a list of 68 questions and in the first session Modi replied to 62. Modi is likely to have been asked if he held a meeting of his top officials on February 27, the day of the Godhra riots and ask Gujarat police officers to go slow against rioters.

Did he instruct any of his ministers to sit in the police control room in Ahmedabad when the riots were taking place and did the Chief Minister’s office get phone calls from former Jafri when Gulbarg Society was attacked are other major questions he is likely to have been asked.

Zakia Jaffery, the murdered MP’s wife, told CNN-IBN she expected Modi to speak the truth about the riots. “Judiciary is not blind. I will get justice. Modi will have to speak the truth today. How long will he keep lying? All my well wishers have been with me through these eight years,” Zakia said.

Teesta Setalvad, secretary of Citizens and Peace, alleged Modi had subverted justice by not stopping the riots. “The issue is not Modi the person, the issue is the position that he held at that time and the way he tried to subvert the Indian constitution,” said Setalvad, who has been helping riot victims in courts.

Gujarat Government spokesman Jai Narayan Vyas dismissed suggestions of a setback to Modi following his appearance before SIT.

"We have always said that he will abide by rule of law but much hype is being made. There is no setback as far as BJP government or Modi is concerned. Mr Modi is cooperating," he said.

Gujarat government spokesperson Jai Narayan Vyas told CNN-IBN Modi has “behaved like a responsible citizen” by appearing before the SIT and accused the media of creating a hype that the Chief Minister had been summoned on March 21.

In New Delhi, Law Minister Veerappa Moily said it was "unfortunate" that a Chief Minister has "landed" himself in such a situation.

"It is most unfortunate that he (Modi) landed himself to that kind of a situation. It is not desirable but unfortunately it has happened," said Moily.

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