Cong wary, but UPA allies demand Modi’s head

RJD wants Advani arrested; Left wants quick action by courts and government

NEW DELHI: The Tehelka expose linking chief minister Narendra Modi to the 2002 Gujarat violence appears to have put the UPA government in a quandary.

Fearing that Modi and his saffron camp followers may use the sting to consolidate the Hindu vote bank on the eve of the state elections, the Congress is treading cautiously. It is passing the buck to the courts while its key allies, such as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the CPI(M) and the CPI, are demanding action against the guilty.

In video footage of the sting operations released on Thursday, various Sangh Parivar members allegedly involved in the violence said Modi had given them a free hand to settle scores with Muslims after the Sabarmati Express fire.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad went to the extent of demanding the arrest of Modi and leader of the opposition LK Advani.

The CPI(M) said the “shocking and graphic details” of the massacre, as shown in the Tehelka tapes, “should be taken as prima facie evidence by the Supreme Court and the Union government and those guilty be brought to book expeditiously.”

The Centre and the law enforcement agencies have a “special responsibility” in this regard, the party said, adding, “chief minister Modi and his government were fully responsible for gross violation of human rights and subversion of the Constitution.”

Criticising the Union home ministry for its failure in “exposing and taking action against such crimes which even a private TV channel has done,” the CPI said the Nanavati Commission set up to investigate the post-Godhra violence should take suo motu cognisance of these statements in the course of its inquiry. A private television channel even quoted CPI general secretary AB Bardhan as saying that “Modi should be banned from contesting elections.”

But to avoid making Modi look like a martyr, the Congress reacted more guardedly, and asked the courts to take cognisance of the revelations made by Tehelka.

But the allies have not shown such restraint. Yadav said “the sting operation by Tehelka, aptly christened Operation Kalank (disgrace), had exposed Modi’s deep involvement in the post-Godhra riots. People now know the real faces involved in the crime against humanity.”

“Since Modi enjoys the patronage of senior BJP leader Advani, the opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, the latter cannot escape culpability for the mass murder,” he said, demanding that criminal cases be instituted against the two leaders immediately and they be sent to jail.

The CPI(M) politburo said “the footage has confirmed what is well known - that the 2002 violence in Gujarat was a state-sponsored one”. “As a number of Gujarat cases were pending before the Supreme Court, the tapes “should be taken as prima facie evidence and the Supreme Court and the central government should move expeditiously to see that all those guilty are brought to justice,” the Politburo said.

Congress leader and Union minister Kabil Sibal said in a statement said the expose is “further proof that Modi and democracy are antithetical to each other.” Since Modi had “systematically subverted” the rule of law, he hoped that the Supreme Court will expeditiously decide on the cases pending against him.

Earlier, party colleague Jayanti Natarajan also said that the “courts must take cognisance” of the revelations. “We plead with the Supreme Court to dispose of the cases as early as possible so that the accused can be prosecuted for murder.”

She said the “Centre wanted to initiate a CBI inquiry, but the state government blatantly refused it.” Subsequently, the AICC released an unsigned statement saying that “Modi has lost all moral and constitutional authority to continue in office” and that he should step down immediately.