The Hindu : `Gujarat Govt. stage-managing probes'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 04, 2003

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`Gujarat Govt. stage-managing probes'

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD March 3. The Gujarat Congress president, Shankarsinh Waghela, has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in the State of "stage-managing'' the investigations into the Godhra train carnage and the attack on the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar. In his first press conference since the Congress' rout in the December Assembly elections, Mr. Waghela demanded a CBI inquiry into the two incidents to bring out the truth.

Alleging that police were "manipulating'' the inquiry into the Godhra carnage, he said no one had testified to having seen those who poured inflammable material in the compartment of the Sabarmati Express or set the coach on fire. As for Moulana Hussain Umaraji, who allegedly "masterminded'' the carnage, he had been ``forced" by police, who wrote his statement, to sign on the dotted lines.

Mr. Waghela wondered why, even a year after the tragedy, police could not find an eye-witness among the thousands present at the railway station and at the scene of the incident at Signal Falia on the outskirts of the station, or among the railway employees to identify the people involved in the carnage. "I am sure if a CBI inquiry is ordered, there will be nothing other than allegations in the entire episode.''

Similarly, police and the Union Home Ministry had so far not unravelled the identity of the two terrorists who attacked Akshardham in September.

"People are asking questions as to from where they had come and who were they, but the State police or the Central Government have no answer.''

On the use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act against the Godhra accused, Mr. Waghela said it was done only to terrorise the accused and the witnesses. The guilty, if proved, should be hanged but police should not try to force people into submission, he said.

The outcome of elections in Himachal Pradesh and the northeast had reiterated that the BJP's "Hindutva'' card would not work outside Gujarat. In Gujarat, the use of the Hindu card was a "pre-planned'' move and a hype was created in the name of "Miyan Musharraf'' to mislead the people, who were now "repenting'' the fact that they had supported the BJP, he claimed.

Recalling that the Congress had given 90 days' time to the Modi Government to organise things after the elections, Mr. Waghela said his party would organise rallies and protests to give vent to the people's disenchantment with the BJP Government.

During the Holi festival, the Congress would make a "holi'' (bonfire) of the State and the Central budget documents, besides organising a massive rally on the foundation day of the State on May 1.

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`Gujarat Govt. stage-managing probes'