|
India Thinkers Net Archives Index
|
Subscribe
|
|
| << August21, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net]A System Suffocating the Majority -Arundhati |
August21, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net]Praful Bidwai on affirmative action >> |
|
Gujarat mandarin adds new twist to Godhra probe Ahmedabad, Aug 21. (PTI): In a significant disclosure, a senior bureaucrat of Gujarat government today told the Godhra riots inquiry commission that the decision to bring the charred bodies of 59 Ram sevaks killed in the brutal train carnage on February 27, 2002 in Godhra, to a hospital in Ahmedabad, was that of Chief Minister Narendra Modi. "This decision to bring the bodies of Kar Sevaks to Sola civil hospital from Godhra on Febraury 27 itself was Modi's," the then Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ashok Narayan admitted during his cross-examination before Justice G T Nanavati and Justice K G Shah of the two-men inquiry commission probing Godhra train carnage and its aftermath. Narayan was asked whether the state deemed it fit to bring the bodies to Ahmedabad despite the fact that there was a likelihood of tremendous law and order problems in wake of the bandh call given by VHP on February 28. Glaring contradictions Glaring contradictions over the February 27, 2002 meeting of Modi with senior police and Home Department officials came to the fore once again with Narayan stating that steps to be taken in likelihood of largescale communal violence on February 28 in wake of Godhra incident and VHP bandh call was discussed at that meeting. Surprisingly, the official was unable to recall whether the then Ahmedabad police commissioner P C Pande was present in this meeting or not. Pande as well the former DGP K Chakravarthi had told the probe panel recently that there was no discussion regarding preventive steps taken during this particular meeting. However, Narayan's revelation about Modi's decision to bring bodies here was not straightforward. "The decision was taken by the state government at highest level," he first said, only to be grilled by advocate Sinha, who sought to understand what did the official mean by the 'highest-level' of state government. Asked whether he was aware that BJP had announced support to the VHP-sponsored bandh on February 28, Narayan said he did not know about it on February 27 but it came to his knowledge only after reading about it in the newspapers. Interestingly, the then Additional Chief Secretary (Home) was unsure about when Modi decided to go to Godhra following the train carnage. "I do not remember any written message about the Chief Minister going to Godhra coming to my office from any channel. Perhaps he decided to go after the noon session of state assembly," said Narayan, after being quizzed about it several times. Crucial meeting About the crucial meeting of February 27 night with Modi, the senior Home Department official said that the Chief Minister had instructed police to take all possible steps to suppress the communal violence. "We also discussed the possibility of Gujarat police not being enough to contain the unprecedented communal flare up and requested Centre and neighbouring states for additional reinforcements," Narayan said. Another important point that emerged during the cross- examination of Narayan, who is now the Vigilance Commissioner, pertaining to February 27 meeting was that of preventive arrests made as per a government scheme to tackle communal violence. Narayan did not remember the salient features of this particular scheme. "I was aware of VHP bandh call on February 28 and an unprecedented arousal of communal passions that could arise in wake of Godhra train carnage incident," he said. When asked how many preventive arrests were made and who were they, Narayan said, "I don't remember the number and who were arrested. It is there on Home department's record." Later, advocate Sinha told reporters that the entire controversy over this important meeting was "who had actually given the directions to police not to use force effectively on people coming out on streets to vent out their anger against killing of Ram sevaks." About situation in Ahmedabad city, Narayan said that it was deteriorating since afternoon of February 28 and he was aware of several minority community peoples' lives being in danger, their property attacked and worship places razed. Asked whether he knew that ex-Congress MP Ehsaan Jafri was gheraoed by rioting mob in Gulbarg society, Narayan said it was only after he was killed that he came to know. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/001200408212019.htm |
| << August21, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net]A System Suffocating the Majority -Arundhati |
August21, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net]Praful Bidwai on affirmative action >> |
|
India Thinkers Net Archives Index
|
Subscribe
|
|
|
Archives powered by Zinester's Mailing List Service
Details on India Thinkers Net |
Browse for more newsletters at Zinester's Ezine Directory
Managed by Zinester's Mailing List Management |