'Narendra Modi suffered for 19 years', Amit Shah after SC ruling on Gujarat riots 2002

New Delhi, June 25: The Supreme Court had dismissed an appeal filed by Zakia Jafri challenging the SIT’s clean chit to Narendra Modi and others in cases related to the 2002 Gujarat riots. Speaking on the same, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he had seen PM Modi suffer through the "19-year-long battle against the case".

 

 

In an exclusive interview to news agency ANI, the Union Home Minister said, "Only a strong-willed person could’ve taken stand to not say anything as case was sub-judice." Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat, "always believed in the law", he added. "I am happy that Modiji has set an example that no matter the allegation, he always believed in the law and upheld the Constitution," Shah said.

 

 

Shah also dismissed allegations that BJP had "influenced" the SIT constituted to probe the case. "The SIT was not constituted by us. It was done by the apex court. Neither did we select the officials, it was done by the apex court after hearing from the NGO. The officers were not from the BJP-ruled states, they were from the Central government. By that time the Central government was changed, it was UPA," the union minister said.

 

 

On June 24, Supreme Court while upholding the clean chit to Modi in the Gujarat riots case, said that co-petitioner and activist Teesta Setalvad exploited the emotions of petitioner Zakia Jafri. "... it was a court-monitored case, how could it have been influenced? Costly lawyers appeared for the NGO," Shah said.

 

He added that the Supreme Court said Zakia Jafri worked on someone else's instructions. "NGO signed affidavits of several victims and they (victims) didn't even know," said Shah. He said 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, nor anyone else. Later it wasn't in anyone's hands," added Shah.

 

When asked about the allegation that the BJP had brought in lawyers who were paid hefty fees as opposed to lawyers who were representing her NGO, Shah said, "From our side, there were law officers and they are not that heavily paid. There is a system for their fees."

 

Shah also said that it were the political rivals of the BJP, ideologically-driven politically motivated journalists, and various NGOs who publicised the allegations against the Modi government in Gujarat. "They presented it as such that everyone started believing in lies as the truth," he said.

 

Shah said Teesta Setalvad had an NGO which had submitted applications to police stations against BJP workers and they were sought as truth. "Teesta Setalvad’s NGO was doing this," he said. "Take up any five years of governance under Congress and BJP, and see how many hours for curfew was there, how many people died, how many riots took place, and what was the duration of the riots, see and you’ll know riots under which government have been more. The major reason for the 2002 Gujarat riots was Godhra train burning incident," the home minister said.