LK Advani blogs ‘heartening news’ about Gujarat

Senior BJP leader LK Advani has expressed his happiness on SIT clean chit to Narendra Modi.

Here are excerpts from Mr Advani’s blog:

In my sixty years of political life I have not known any colleague of mine so consistently, so sustainedly and so viciously maligned by opponents as Narendra Modi. Ironically, during the same period as this calumny campaign against Modi has been at its peak, the Gujarat C.M. has been a recipient of fulsome compliments and kudos from within the country as well as abroad for making Gujarat’s a leading government in so far as the state’s all-round development is concerned, and a kind of a role model for the country in so far as good and honest governance is concerned.

Those who have been part of the demonising campaign against Modi have based their attack on one allegation. After the brutal attack at Godhra on a train returning from Ayodhya in which 58 kar sewaks were burned to death, riots broke out in some parts of Gujarat, and that Modi deliberately allowed the rioters to run rampage.

On April 27, 2009 the Supreme Court received a petition filed by Ms. Zakia Jafri seeking an FIR against Modi. The court appointed a Special Investigation Team headed by former CBI Director R.K.Raghavan to investigate Jafri’s complaint.

Ms. Jafri’s charge against Modi read: “The constitutionally elected head of the state and responsible for fundamental rights, right to life and property of all citizens regardless of caste, community and gender, is alleged to be architect of a criminal conspiracy to subvert constitutional governance and the rule of law; unleash unlawful and illegal practices during the mass carnage and thereafter protecting the accused who played direct as well as indirect role and abetted commission of the crime.”

The Raghavan team investigated the allegations for nearly twenty months. In the course of their investigations the SIT interrogated Narendra Modi personally, and early last week submitted its report to the apex court.

The Times of India and several other papers have reported that the SIT has found no evidence to substantiate the charge and has exonerated the Gujarat Chief Minister. The country is eagerly awaiting the full text of the SIT report to the Supreme Court.