Thaindian News

Ahmedabad, Aug 29 (IANS) Two senior government bureaucrats in their testimony before the Nanavaty-Mehta judicial inquiry commission probing the 2002 Godhra train carnage and the subsequent communal riots that followed it, denied Monday that Chief Minister Narendra Modi had issued any ’specific instructions’ to the police in handling the riots.

The two officers, the then home secretary K. Nityanandam, an IPS officer, and the then additional principal secretary to the chief minister Anil Mukim, an IAS officer, contradicted IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt’s claim of his presence at the crucial meeting called at the chief minister’s residence on the night after the Godhra train carnage (Feb 27, 2002), in which Modi had allegedly urged cops to go soft on Hindu rioters.

While Mukim stated that he was not aware of the chief minister issuing any such instructions, Nityanandam said that the chief minister had only discussed about the existing law and order situation in the light of the statewide bandh call slated for the next day. “No specific instructions were issued to the police officers,” Nityanandam added.

Interestingly, the list both officers gave of those present at the meeting were almost identical. The officers denied that the then minister of state for home Gordhan Jhadaphia, or the then joint secretary (home) in-charge of law and order Prakash Shah were present at the meeting. Both also said that they were not aware if any minutes of the meeting had been kept.

IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt had told the panel in his testimony that he was present at the meeting where the chief minister told the top cops to “allow the Hindus to vent their anger” in the aftermath of the Godhra train carnage. The then additional chief secretary, home Ashok Narayan, then DGP A.K. Chakravarthi and then Ahmedabad police commissioner P.C. Pande have already denied having received any such instructions and disputed Bhatt’s claims.

Later, Justice Nanavati talking to lawyers hinted at the possibility of the chief minister being summoned before the commission.

Pointing out that he was keen to complete proceedings of the commission, Justice Nanavaty told Mukul Sinha, counsel representing the riot victims before the panel, “now only one witness remains to be summoned after the then health minister I.K. Jadeja, Mr Narendra Modi”. Jadeja is slated to appear before the panel on Sep 5.