Naroda Patiya riots verdict will spread good message: JD (U)

National Democratic Alliance ally Janata Dal United) on Friday welcomed the judgement given by a special court in Ahmedabad sentencing BJP MLA Maya Kodnani in Noroda Patiya massacre —— the worst of 2002 post—Godhra riots —— saying it “will spread a good message”.

“I am very satisfied. This country has seen many riots. But for the first time people who committed this act have been punished. This judgement will spread a very good message,” JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav told reporters here.

Mr. Yadav said “several riots took place in the country, including in Delhi, but no punishment ever took place. But for the first time, Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Supreme Court made it happen.”

Another party MP Shivanand Tiwari said the judgement will have a “positive impact on the psyche of the minorities” and congratulated the witness for braving all odds and depose against the “powerful accused persons”.

“Perhaps this is the first such incident in the country in which the conspirators of communal riots have been punished.

Had the perpetrators of the communal riots been punished in this manner in the past, it would have discouraged such unfortunate happenings and communal riots would not have continued to take place in the manner they did,” Mr. Tiwari said.

JD (U) is running a government in Bihar in alliance with BJP for the last seven years and there had been a number of instances of sparrings between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar.

Source : http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3844609.ece

Sanjiv Bhatt attacks Modi on Naroda Patiya verdict

We present the full text of suspended Gujarat police official Sanjiv Bhatt’s open letter to Chief Minister Narendra Modi [ Images ]:

Dear Narendra Modi,

You must have been apprised about the punishment meted out to your loyal lieutenants Dr Maya Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi, as well as the misguided foot-soldiers of misconceived Hindutva, who have now been condemned to spend a life in prison. Was it perchance that you smartly distanced yourself from all these unfortunate people at an opportune moment? Have you spared a thought for the innocent family members of the accused who have been sentenced to a lifetime behind bars? It is believed that you were once a married man. At some point in your life, like all normal humans, you might have been touched by the magic of love, even thought of having children and starting a family, perhaps! Have you even once thought about the plight of the wives and children of your onetime adulators who have been condemned for life?

Mr Modi, have you ever looked at your actual image, stripped of the designer dresses that you are so enamoured with? Have you ever looked at the reflection of the real face behind the mask? Have you ever introspected about your true-self concealed behind the meticulous imagery created by your media managers? Have you even once thought whether it is really worth it to sustain power, even if it requires sacrificing fellow human beings at the altar of expediency? Have you ever considered, even once, whether it is alright to facilitate or connive in the killing of another human being just because he does not conform to your beliefs? Is it really worthwhile to deceive your own self…. or, is it only a small price to pay for your political ambitions?

I hope and pray to God that you get the time, wisdom and opportunity to find honest and truthful answers to some of these questions during this lifetime.

God bless!

Sanjiv Bhatt

Source : http://www.rediff.com/news/report/sanjiv-bhatt-attacks-modi-on-naroda-patiya-verdict/20120901.htm

Naroda Patiya case verdict: 32 convicted, 29 acquitted

By Mahesh Langa | Hindustan Times – Wed 29 Aug, 2012

Ahmedabad, Aug. 29 — A special trial court has convicted 32 people while 29 accused have been acquitted in the Naroda Patiya massacre case. The trial court has convicted Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajarangi also. Bajarangi was one of the key accused in the case. Rioters had massacred 97 people in Naroda Patiya on February 28, 2002, making it the largest single case of mass murder during the 2002 Gujarat riots that broke out following the Godhra train carnage.

The special trial court had scheduled the judgment for Wednesday. Naroda MLA and former minister Dr Maya Kodnani and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi are among the 61 accused in the case.

Trial in the case had began in 2009 after the Supreme Court appointed SIT carried out further probe in the case.

“We are anxious, scared and don’t know what will happen. We are hoping that justice will finally be done to us,” Shakeela Banu, who lost eight members of her family in the riots, said on Tuesday.

Many witnesses in the case are jittery, having told the court how the rioters targeted women and children and set houses on fire.

“By deposing, we have taken a big risk because the accused are powerful. But we have faith in the judiciary,” said Salim Sheikh whose son was killed in the riots.

According to state government records, of more than 1,200 people killed in the 2002 riots, nearly 950 were Muslims.

So far, trial courts have delivered verdicts in the Sardarpura massacre case, Ode village massacre case and Dipda Darwaja massacre case, besides the Godhra train carnage case.

Verdicts are awaited in the Naroda Gaon massacre case, Gulbarg Society case and Prantij riots case in which three British nationals were killed in north Gujarat.

BOX: Case of largest single mass murder during 2002 riots

Rioters massacred 97 people in Naroda Patiya locality on February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra train carnage in which 57 kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya were charred to death

Houses were set on fire in the lower middle-class Muslim locality, rendering more than 800 families homeless

Former BJP minister Maya Kodnani – Naroda MLA uninterrupted since 1998 – and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi are among the 62 accused in the case

Former VHP general secretary Dr Jaidip Patel was not made accused in the case despite demands by witnesses

Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.

Source : http://in.news.yahoo.com/naroda-patiya-case-verdict-32-convicted-29-acquitted-183000313.html

Assam riots may see third wave of Muslim radicalisation: Popular Front of India

 

By Ullekh N P, ET Bureau | Aug 23, 2012,

NEW DELHI: The Popular Front of India (PFI), a Muslim organisation accused of sending bulk SMSes that led to the exodus of northeast migrants from Bangalore, has said, “Kerala isn’t as progressive and secular as it is made out to be.”

PFI, formed in 2006 as a confederation of Muslim organisations such as the National Development Front (Kerala), Manitha Neethi Pasarai (Tamil Nadu) and the Karnataka Forum for Dignity, has a strong presence in India’s most literate state.

“Although there are no direct influences of communalisation in Kerala’s society, there are indirect influences. This explains why there are fictitious reports on love jihad (which said some 4,000 Hindu girls were converted to Islam by Muslim boyfriends),” said PFI chairman EM Abdul Rahiman.

He added that the media even blew up the ‘natural demand’ of Congress’ coalition partner, Indian Union Muslim League, for an extra ministerial berth. Many analysts had described as ‘shameful surrender,’ Congress’s decision to yield to IUML’s demand for a fifth berth in the state’s 21-member ministry.

On Tuesday, reports quoting unidentified sources said the National Cyber Investigation Agency submitted a preliminary report to the home ministry, confirming PFI’s role in bulk SMSes. PFI has been under scanner on several occasions over various communal clashes across Kerala. Political leaders, especially those from CPM, have charged PFI with double standards. “In the name of championing the cause of Dalits and other underprivileged sections, such organisations are engaged in nefarious activities. If Kerala isn’t as progressive as it used to be, it is because of outfits like PFI,” CPM polit bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told ET.

“We categorically deny the charge. Some people are playing mischief. The attempt is to tarnish our image,” Rahiman said. He added that in the last six months, PFI had filed 13 complaints with the Press Council of India against “biased reporting and misrepresentation of facts.”

Asked about widespread accusations against PFI from various quarters, including CPM and Congress, for fomenting communal trouble in south India and for being a recipient of alleged foreign funds, Rahiman said, “all are untrue and unproved charges… CPM has an axe to grind… though it is a party that is supposed to champion the cause of the under-privileged, in Kerala it has degenerated so much that it goes to any extent – even committing political murders – to ensure its supremacy.” He claimed that PFI was a Delhi-headquartered entity and had no connections with any foreign organisations.

The jailed LeT representative in South India, Kannur-based Thadiyantavide Nazeer, was allegedly a member of the National Democratic Front, from which PFI was born. But PFI leaders have often said that they had nothing to do with Nazeer. “In fact, we have asked people of South India to uphold the tradition of communal harmony and not create panic among people who have come from elsewhere,” said Rahiman.

Ironically, the ‘more secular’ south India has had a good share of communal clashes in recent years, including in Kerala. Though Kerala is an unlikely haven for radical Islamist outfits – with its high social indices and politically empowered minorities – they have flourished in the state, since the demolition of the Babri Masjid, first with blessings of CPM, which encouraged their ‘cultural activities’ to gain an edge over IUML, and later the Congress-led coalition. The past five years, however, have seen widespread clashes between CPM cadres and PFI members.

Rahiman shared Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s view that India may see a ‘third wave’ of radicalisation of Muslims, following the ethnic riots in Assam. “It is likely, unfortunately. The first was after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, in 1992, and then in 2002, after the Gujarat riots… we hope it doesn’t happen in large scale,” he said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Assam-Riots-may-see-third-wave-of-Muslim-radicalisation-PFI/articleshow/15612995.cms

 

Conspiracy alleged in arrest of Muslim youths

The CLMC asked the Prime Minister to order a high-level enquiry into the arrests and to ensure release of all youth detained illegally.

The Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee (CLMC) condemned the recent arrest of Muslim youths from different parts of India and dubbed it as a ‘greater conspiracy’ against the community.

It sought the Prime Minister’s intervention to stop targeting of innocent Muslims by the police.

The CLMC asked the Prime Minister to order a high-level enquiry into the arrests and to ensure release of all youth detained illegally.

In a statement here on Sunday, Lateef Mohammed Khan, general secretary, CLMC, said the arrests were the result of nexus between ‘anti Muslim’ police groups of Hyderabad and Bangalore working with the support of Hindutva outfits.

‘Intentional’

The main intention was to divert the attention of people from the court verdict against the criminals of Gujarat genocide and the violence against Muslims in Assam.

The police arrested the youths in illegal manner, detained and tortured them and then declared them arrested, Mr. Khan alleged.

He said the ‘notorious’ city police officers who were involved in arresting Muslim youths in the name of Mecca Masjid blast investigation were in forefront this time too.

The arrests were part of greater conspiracy included in Hindutva agenda to target the educated Muslim youths who are in good professions.

Those arrested belonged to journalism, medicine, science and technology fields as well as students.

By this way, Muslims would be looked with suspicion in these fields and denied job opportunities in future, Mr. Khan said.

Police ridiculed

Ridiculing the police claim, he said computer, laptop, cell phone, hard disk ‘recovered’ were essential things and not dangerous weapons.

Source : http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/article3853506.ece