New Delhi:
The BJP says its stand has been vindicated - that there is "not a shred of evidence" against its Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the Gujarat riots cases.
The party is clearly relieved that no adverse observation has been made by the Supreme Court against Mr Modi as it sent the Gujarat-riots-related Gulbarg Society massacre case of 2002 to a trial court in the state. The Supreme Court has asked the trial court to examine the report of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) that it had set up, and a review of that report by amicus curae Raju Ramachandran and decide whether or not Mr Modi should be investigated in the case.
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said the due process of law was being followed. The BJP has maintained the position that Narendra Modi is not involved in the riots, he said, adding, "Propaganda is not a substitute for evidence."
The BJP has for long held that Mr Modi has been politically targeted. Party partriarch LK Advani reacted to the Supreme Court order saying, "Modi has been targeted for a long time... This is a relief for both BJP and Modi. He is an outstanding leader and capable of discharging all responsibilities assigned to him." (
Watch)
On Twitter, senior leader Sushma Swaraj said, "Narendra
bhai has passed
Agnipareeksha today. My heartiest congratulations to him.
Satyameva jayate.
Varshon baad aaj satya ki vijay hui. (After years, the truth has won).
Narendra Modi himself was more succinct on the micro-blogging site. He tweeted, "God is great."
Today's Supreme Court order came on a petition filed by Zakia Jafri who has alleged that Mr Modi and 61 others, including politicians, policemen and bureaucrats, colluded to ensure that those being attacked by mobs during the 2002 Gujarat riots did not receive help. Mrs Jafri's husband Ehsaan Jafri, a former Congress MP, and 69 other residents of Ahmedabad's Gulbarg Society were killed by rioters on February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra train-burning incident. About 1,200 people were killed in Gujarat in the post-Godhra riots.
Mr Jaitley detailed the investigation and legal process in the case so far to say that those guilty were being prosecuted, but pointed out that multiple investigations had found nothing against Mr Modi in any Gujarat riots related case. "I am glad that the Supreme Court believes that a trial in a Gujarat court would be fair enough," Mr Jaitley said.
The petitioners and the Congress have said they do not see today's court order as a "clean chit to Modi."
The BJP's answer in party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar's words: "Can understand the desperation of Modi-baiters and Modi-haters."
The Supreme Court will now stop monitoring the Gulbarg society massacre case. The two reports that the trial court will examine - that of the SIT and Mr Raju Ramachandran's review - are said to differ. The SIT's report had allegedly said that there was no evidence to prosecute Mr Modi; Mr Ramachandran's report differed on several points with the SIT's findings.