Don't share dais with Modi: Families of victims to Chief Justice

Ahmedabad: Families of victims of Godhra riots and other activists wrote an open letter addressed to the Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and the Zimbabwean Embassy asking them not to share the dais with the Gujarat Chief Minister at the first convocation ceremony of Gujarat National Law University in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

The letter says, "An association of the Chief Justice of India with a person who is being examined for his role in killing of innocent people, under the directives of the Supreme Court will send out wrong signals and undermine the process of justice in Gujarat."

The letter goes on to say not long ago, the Supreme Court of India had called the Chief Minister Narendra Modi a modern day 'Nero'.

Here is the full text of the letter:

To,

TheSupreme Court of India and Zimbabwe Embassy,

JusticeK.G Balakrishnan

SupremeCourt of India, Tilak Marg, New Delhi - 110001

JusticeAhmed Musa Ebrahim

C/oAmbassador Jonathan Wutawunashe,

ZimbabweEmbassy,

NewDelhi - 66

HonourableJustices K.G Balakrishnan and Ahmed Musa Ebrahim

Asyou may be aware that we are at an important threshold of the justice processin Gujarat against the Chief minister Narendra Modi, in the case for conspiracyof mass murder. For the first time in the history of this country, the chiefminister will be questioned by a special investigation team to directallegations of his complicit role in the 2002 violence. You have been a staunchsupporter of this struggle.

Adisturbing piece of information has reached us (an invitation card for afunction at a Law college in Ahmedabad this Sunday, March 28, 2010) where theChief Justice of India K.G Balakrishnan will preside, the CM of Gujarat ShriNarendra Modi will be the chief Guest and Justice Ahmed Musa Ebrahim, formerjudge of Supreme Court of Zimbabwe will be the guest of honour. An associationof the chief justices of India and Zimbabwe with a person who is being examinedfor his role in killing of innocent people, under the directives of the SupremeCourt will send out wrong signals and undermine the process of justice inGujarat. Not long ago, the Supreme Court of India had called the Chief MinisterNarendra Modi a modern day 'Nero'. Your eminence, we the undersigned urge younot to share a platform with Chief Minister Narendra Modi, pending criminalinvestigations against him per the directives of your institution - the Supremecourt. We sincerely hope that you will decline the offer of the GujaratNational Law University, or ask them not to invite Mr. Narendra Modi as theChief Guest on their first annual convocation.

Yourssincerely,

AlladiSitaram

Anjaligopalan

ArunKumar

Dilipsimeon

FrCedric Prakash

FrancisParmar

MallikaV Sarabhai

ManishaTrivedi

MansiSharma

NajidHussain

NavaidHamid