The former minister of state for home denied a claim of IK Jadeja that he had remained present in the DGP office in Gandhinagar on his instruction.
Two former ministers of Narendra Modi government have given contradictory statements before the Nanavati commission in connection with the 2002 riots.
On Friday, former minister of state for home Gordhan Zadaphia denied a claim of IK Jadeja, then urban development minister, that he had remained present in the DGP office in Gandhinagar on his (Zadaphia's) instruction. Zadaphia was answering questions during his cross-examination conducted by Mukul Sinha, counsel for Jan Sangharsh Manch.
It was alleged that Jadeja had positioned himself in the DGP office during the riots and the police officers acted on the instructions of their political bosses rather than that of their superior officers.
Earlier, Jadeja had told the commission that he was present in the DGP office on Zadaphia's instruction.
"I did not instruct Jadeja (who was a senior minister to me at that time) to remain present in the DGP office. Even I don't know who instructed him to do so," said Zadaphia.
Zadaphia, who left the BJP after his strained relations with Modi, later formed the Mahagujarat Janata Party (MJP).
He also lifted the curtains on the suspense on who decided to bring the dead bodies of the Kar Sevaks from Godhra to Ahmedabad on February 27, 2002.
"I believe the decision might have been taken by chief minister Modi and then health minister late Ashok Bhatt," he said. The decision to bring the bodies to the city stirred the emotions of people, which led let to widespread violence from February 28.
Even in one of the cases, the police reported that the decision to bring the bodies to the city made people react to the situation and they attacked the minority community at Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gaam, where over 100 people were killed.
Zadaphia, however, evaded answering vital questions about his telephone conversation with prime accused like Bipin Panchal and Babu Bajarangi in Naroda Patiya case. "I might have talked to them but I can't remember," he said.
About his alleged frequent talks with RJ Savani, DCP of zone-5, under whose jurisdiction large-scale violence took place, he said he was not aware of this.
Zadaphia also evaded questions regarding the bandh call given by VHP and the support given by the ruling BJP, incidents of Naroda Patiya, Naroda Gam and Gulbarg Society, and the meeting at chief minister's residence on February 27 and gave one common answer: "I cannot remember at this time."
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