Gujarat riot victims ask Modi to come clean

Victims of the 2002 post-Godhra violence today criticised Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for not appearing before the SpecialInvestigation Team (SIT) here in connection with a riots caseand asked him to come clean.       Some of the riot victims from the city, who were brought together by an NGO Citizen for Justice and Peace run by Teesta Setalwad, said that Modi had always said that he was with the riot victims but "by not going before Supreme Court-appointed SIT he had shown that he does not support us"."What is he (Modi) afraid of? When SIT summoned him the government spokesperson said that CM would cooperate with theprocess of law. So why does he (Modi) not go before SIT andcooperate," said Imtiyaz Khan Pathan, a victim who survivedthe riots at Gulburg society where 69 people including ex-MPEhsan Jaffery were killed on February 28, 2002.Another riot victim of Gulburg society Saeed Khan Pathan said that Modi should have appeared before SIT and respected the law."Modi has been saying that he was clean and innocent. Why doesn't he come forward and prove that he is clean and was in support of the riot victims," said Sayra Sandhi who lived in  House no 6 of Gulburg society.Sandhi had lost four members of her family during the riots eight years ago.Another riot victim of the Naroda Patiya case where 95 people of minority community were killed on February 28, 2002, lamented the long trial.

"The case (of Naroda Patiya) has been going on for so many years but we are yet to get justice," said Jannat Bibi who survived the attack.