Shah said he had seen PM Modi suffer through the “19-year-long battle against the case”. “Only a strong-willed person could’ve taken stand to not say anything as case was sub-judice,” he told ANI.
Friday, the Supreme Court denied the petition of Zakia Jafri, the widow of killed MP Ehsan Jafri, contesting the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) acquittal of 64 individuals, including then-chief minister Narendra Modi, who in the 2002 Gujarat riots case.
A three-judge panel led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar supported the Special Metropolitan Magistrate’s decision to deny Jafri’s objection to the SIT’s closing report.
The highest court confirmed the Gujarat high court’s decision and declared Jafri’s appeal to be without merit. Jafri has claimed that the Gujarat riots of 2002 were part of a wider plot.
Ehsan Jafri, a Congress politician and former member of parliament, was among the 68 persons slain in Ahmedabad’s Gulberg Society on February 28, 2002, a day after a Sabarmati Express train was burned at Godhra, killing 59 people and sparking rioting in Gujarat.
The case filed by Zakia Jafri contested the high court’s judgment denying her appeal against the SIT verdict on October 5, 2017. On December 9, 2012, the highest court reserved its decision on the appeal.
Union Minister Amit Shah’s Probe
Amit Shah made a veiled dig at the Congress for protesting during Rahul Gandhi’s interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate.
Shah stated that Modi did not make a performance before the Special Investigation Team.
On Saturday, Union home minister Amit Shah praised the Supreme Court’s ruling in the 2002 Gujarat riots, which rejected a petition demanding an investigation into a “bigger plot.”
Shah stated in an interview with the news agency ANI that all charges against Prime Minister Narendra Modi were driven by politics.
“A towering leader waged this 18-19-year battle without speaking and enduring every suffering like Lord Shankar’s ‘vishpaan’… I witnessed his pain up near and personal. As the matter was pending, only a strong-willed individual could have refused to comment.”
“The claims were disseminated by a trio of BJP’s political enemies, ideologically driven politically motivated journalists, and a few NGOs. “Because they had a robust ecology, everyone began to believe falsehoods to be true,” Shah stated.
Here are the top quotes by Amit Shah on the Gujarat riots verdict by SC:
- Referring to prime minister Modi, Shah said he saw a ‘tall leader suffering in this 18-19 year-long fight without saying a word, and braving all pain like ‘vishpaan’ (drinking poison) of Lord Shankar’. “I saw him suffering through this very closely.
- Only a strong-willed person could’ve taken the stand to not say anything as the case was sub-judice,” he said.
- In an apparent jibe at protests by the Congress over the questioning of Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald case, he said: “Modiji didn’t do drama while appearing before SIT (Special Investigation Team). He is ready to cooperate.
- Why (the need to) protest?”
- “The Troika of BJP’s political rivals, ideologically driven & politically motivated journalists and some NGOs publicized the allegations.
- They had a strong ecosystem, so everyone started believing lies to be true.”
- Home Minister also named Teesta Setalvad – an Indian civil rights activist and journalist and accused her of spreading lies. “Everyone knows Teesta Setalvad’s NGO was doing this. When the UPA Govt came to power at that time, it helped the NGO,” he said.
- “The primary cause of the riots was that the Godhra train was set on fire. 60 people died.
- I saw a 16-day-old child, sitting on her mother’s lap being set on fire.
- I did the cremation with my own hands.
- This is what started the riots. And the rest was politically motivated.” He further added, “the people (officers-administration) had done a good job, but there was anger due to the incident (Godhra train burning), and nobody had an inkling – neither the Police, not anyone else. Later it wasn’t in anyone’s hands.”
Shah also launched an all-out attack on the Congress which protested while its leader Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case. “Modi Ji didn’t do drama while appearing before SIT – come out in my support, call MLAs-MPs & stage dharna…If SIT wants to question CM, he is ready to cooperate. Why protest?..,” he said.
