Modi leads in Communal talk on Gujarat Elections: Will the Election commission take any note ?

Indian Express
December 06, 2007

EXPRESS EDITORIAL

Some things don’t change
Posted online: Thursday, December 06, 2007 at 0000 hrs

Modi’s defence of Sohrabuddin murder is not only an outrage, it’s a defiance of SC

The Indian Express

: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi doesn’t want anyone to mention the 2002 massacres. His response always has been: don’t drag me back to the past, look at the bright future that I promise lies ahead. In fact, just days ago, he said he would like to be known as the Chief Minister who won an election by campaigning on development and governance. Yes, he has demonstrated enviable skills as administrator and politician, he has ensured consistently high growth for his state, introduced comprehensive reforms, cut down on government spending and ushered in major power and labour reforms. And yet as the campaign heats up in the last stretch, he hops from rally to rally reviving the ghosts he is so familiar with: the ghosts of fear and hatred.

So Mian Musharraf, his pet theme the last time around, may not be the flavour of the season (the poor General has had to shed his uniform!) but Modi has begun once again using terror to underline the communal divide he and his party thrive on in his state.

His own government told the Supreme Court in an affidavit that the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh was a fake encounter, that it would take the strongest action possible against the police officers involved. And yet the Chief Minister crows about the death, uses it as shameful testimony to argue that he is a tough man and those who criticise him for this are the ones willing to spread a chadar on Sohrabuddin’s grave. In effect, he is justifying murder, he is betraying the constitutional responsibilities of a chief minister and openly endorsing the law of the jungle. This amounts to thumbing a nose and more at the highest court of the land. The extra-judicial slaying of Sheikh — and that of his wife, Kauserbi, and associate, Tulsi Prajapati, subsequently — had caused national outrage earlier this year. The case is at present going on in an Ahmedabad court and senior police officers who had allegedly stagemanaged the encounters, including D G Vanjhara and Rajkumar Pandian, are in jail.

Given all this, it is an outrage that a Chief Minister gets applause from a crowd to support such behaviour and to suggest himself that the dead man got what he deserved. It goes to show why Modi starts squirming every time anyone asks him about the massacres of 2002. It goes to show why he will always be asked about that — irrespective of what happens in this election.


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The Tribune
December 6, 2007
Editorial

Moditva in Gujarat
Time to stop the communal propaganda

GUJARAT Chief Minister Narendra Modi does not appear to be as invincible as he was when campaign for the Assembly elections started. Former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel has come out openly against him even while remaining a “disciplined” member of the BJP. The lacklustre response of the people to his as well as his supporter and former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani’s meetings suggests he finds the going indeed tough. He has, therefore, been resorting to what he is good at —communalising the campaign. In the last elections his standard refrain was “Mian Musharraf”. This time he makes it a point to provocatively ask his audience what he should do if a “Sohrabuddin” is found with illegal weapons. At the prompting of his cheerleaders, they shout, “kill him, kill him”. He sees this as an endorsement of his policy.

In giving such a response the people are not told that the case is sub-judice, the police has not recovered any weapons from his house and that his wife was also killed, though she never had any criminal background. Shakespeare in Julius Caesar has shown how a demagogic leader can influence a mob by conveniently twisting facts. In other words, Mr Modi is trying the strategy of Mark Antony in the Gujarat elections. One wonders what happened to all his claims of having developed the state as the pre-eminent destination of foreign and domestic direct investment.

The Congress has, as usual, been sulking on the sidelines. It does not know how to take on Mr Modi, who has no qualms in going to any extent to attack his rivals. The Congress was provided with a campaign issue when a weekly newspaper published the verbatim claims of some Sangh Parivar leaders who played a nefarious role in the Gujarat riots, which the Prime Minister described as a “holocaust”. The Congress is so scared of the communal polarisation that it finds even a mention of the riots a risky proposition. All this has emboldened Mr Modi to set the tone for the campaign by frequently referring to Sohrabuddin’s murder. It is for the Election Commission to take note of his campaign style, which is patently insensitive to the feelings of all those who believe that elections should be fought on political, rather than religious and communal issues.

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SOHRABUDDIN SHEIKH ENCOUNTER

Modi govt lawyer livid at speech, EC awaits report

ibnlive.com

TimePublished on Thu, Dec 06, 2007 at 01:09, Updated at Thu, Dec 06, 2007 in Nation section

New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has made his government’s stand in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case untenable with his speech on Tuesday, a senior Supreme Court lawyer has said.

“The state government, for the past one year, has repeatedly taken the stand before the Supreme Court that extra-legal killing in a fake encounter was cold blooded murder. The officers accused in the case are being prosecuted for murder and conspiracy,” said KTS Tulsi, who represents the Gujarat government in the Sohrabuddin case.

“The Gujarat government is prosecuting these officers and has charge-sheeted them, and here is a Chief Minister who says persons who are suspected to have terrorist links are justified to be killed in this fashion. He is inciting lawlessness. I am completely at loss to understand the CM's words—they make my position before the Supreme Court untenable,” Tulsi said.

“I cannot continue as counsel for Gujarat government unless the Chief Minister makes a satisfactory clarification. He cannot make a mockery of the law.”

IANS reports the state government, in an affidavit before the Supreme Court, has admitted that its anti-terrorist squad had erred in killing Sheikh, a Muslim businessman, after framing him as a terrorist in 2005.

Modi, while speaking at a rally in Mangrol town of Surat district on Tuesday, said Sheikh deserved to be killed. His speech has created a furor with the Election Commission indicating it would wait for an official report before deciding on any action against him.

"I have not yet received a report from the Surat collector on the speech by Narendra Modi," Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswamy said in reply to reporters' queries.

Gopalaswami, who was visiting Surat, said he had read media reports on Modi’s speech. "Once we read an official report on it from the (Surat) collector we will decide what to do."

Senior BJP leader and former chief minister Keshubhai Patel has indicated his disapproval with Modi’s speech. “I am angry with his policies,” said Patel, who has refused to campaign for the BJP ahead of Assembly elections.

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dailyindia.com

Human rights activists to move SC against Modi's remark on Sohrabuddin killing
From our ANI Correspondent

New Delhi, Dec 5: Coming down heavily on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi over his justification for the 2005 fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, human rights activists today said that they would file a petition in the Supreme Court against it.

"Technically, those who believe in the rule of law have to take this forward to the Supreme Court," said Gagan Sethi, Human Right Activist, Centre for Social Justice.

At an election rally in Jamnagar district on Tuesday , Modi had admitted that Sohrabuddin Sheikh's encounter did happen in Gujarat.

"Yes, Sohrabuddin's encounter happened in Gujarat and If Sonia Gandhi (India's ruling United Progressive Alliance Chief) wants she can hang me for this," said Modi.

Sohrabuddin Sheikh, was reportedly gunned down on November 26, 2005 after being branded a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant by the Gujarat Police, allegedly trying to hatch a conspiracy to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The cops also allegedly killed Sohrabuddin's wife, Kausar Bi.

On the Supreme Court's directive, the Gujarat Government had constituted a CID team under IGP Geetha Johri to investigate the case.

On November 13, an Ahmedabad court had rejected the bail petitions of IPS officer D G Vanzara, and six others, who are the prime suspects in the 2005 Sohrabbudin Sheikh fake encounter case.

Two IPS officers of Gujarat Police-- Vanzara and Rajkumar Pandyan-- and one of Rajasthan Police-- Dinesh Kumar- allegedly executed the encounter in November 2005.


Copyright Dailyindia.com/ANI

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ndtv.com

Modi fomenting hatred: Teesta complains to EC

NDTV Correspondent
Wednesday, December 5, 2007 (New Delhi)
Activist Teesta Setalvad of NGO Citizens for Peace and Justice (CJP), an organisation of social activistsm, has asked the Election Commission (EC) to take action against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

CJP condemned what they called Modi's blatantly crude, desperate and communally surcharged speech as an attempt to foment violence and polarisation in Gujarat ahead of polls.

Following is the text of the letter that the organisation sent to the EC:

December 5, 2007

To,
Shri N. Gopalaswami,
The Chief Election Commissioner,
New Delhi

Dear Sir,

The present chief minister, Gujarat, Shri Narendra Modi has reportedly used a blatantly communal angle in his speech at Mangrol in South Gujarat on December 4, 2007, saying that ''Sonia Gandhi spoke of terrorism. But she has no right to talk of this the Congress in Gujarat is raising its voice on the Sohrabuddin issue. But it should explain what should be done to a man who stored illegal arms?? You tell me what should be done?'' and the crowds reportedly shouted back, ''kill him kill him''.

Sir, we believe that this is an open exhortation to violence, an illegal act by a person seeking re-election to a powerful and responsible position in the state. It also amounts to an Unconstitutional and Unhealthy attitude in a leading politician in a polity. We also believe that this amounts to blatant misuse of religion for political ends and is violative of the Election Code of Conduct since indirectly Shri Modi is only referring to 'Sohrabuuddin' a Muslim was killed and not of the manner in which his wife, Kauserbi, an innocent was killed as also was Tulsiram Prajapati, and Mahendra Kadhav, Ganesh Kunthe (in other incidents of encounters) . In any case, an illegal act by agents of the state (Modi and his chosen policemen) is illegal regardless of who the victim is and which community he/she hails from. To equate and justify a criminal act with a particular community is nothing short of introducing communal politics in the electoral arena and fomenting hatred against a section of our people.

Sir the Election Code of Conduct, Rule 1 (2) and 1 (3) in General Conduct clearly mentions this.

Thirdly, the crude stance of Shri Modi is contrary to what the state of Gujarat has stated on affidavit admitting the illegality of the killing of Sohrabuddin (the rape and) killing of his wife, Kauserbi and the similar illegal encounter killing of Tulsiram -all by policemen commandeered to do so!! in the Hon'ble Supreme Court indicating that Shri Modi is resorting to both desperate and unhealthy measures to garner votes. It also means that either the state of Gujarat is misleading the apex court, or the chief minister is so far veering from the truth to make cheap electoral forays!!

Fourthly, of the officially admitted 21 encounters in Gujarat between 2003 and 2007, in which 5 Hindus were also killed it is emerging that grossly unlawful and unconstitutional means have been used. Therefore, can the CM of a state justify illegal murder lawlessness and extrajudicial killings?? Does his speech not just violate the rule of law enshrined in the Indian constitute but criminal law and the election code of conduct ?

We urge that action should be demanded and taken against him for fomenting hatred and violence against a particular community . We urge action by the Election Commission in this regard.

Sir, Gujarat has had a legacy of sever communal strife and polarisation since 2002 when one of the worst ever post Partition genocidal carnages took place. Even today victims live like refugees in their own land. There have been no attempts by the state to re locate them with dignity. Today's blatantly crude, desperate and communally surcharged speech of Shri Modi is an attempt to bring Gujarat back to the dark abyss of violence and polarisation yet again. It is also an attempt to win an election by foul means if not fair!! As the Constitutional body in charge of the state we urge the Election Commission to step in sharply and clearly in this regard.

In anticipation,
Yours Sincerely
Teesta Setalvad
Secretary

The move follows a statement by the BJP leader during a rally in Gujarat on Tuesday.


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Teesta approaches EC against Modi's remarks
Zeenews Bureau

Ahmedabad, Dec 05: In a strong reaction to Narendra Modi’s instigation of communal fervour, Teesta Setalvad of Citizens for Peace and Justice on Wednesday complained to the Election Commission in writing about the same. On Tuesday, while addressing a rally in Mangrol, Modi had justified the death of Sohrabuddin (killed in a fake encounter 2005) saying he hoarded illegal weapons. Modi had told the crowd attending his rally, "Sohrabuddin got what he deserved".

Teesta also alleged that instead of contesting elections on the development plank and simultaneously ensuring that the basic needs of the people are met, the Modi government was hell bent on poll victory through any means and therefore it was raking up Hindutva again.

The leader of the Congress Legislature Party Arjun Modhvadia also vehemently criticised the Modi government on the fake encounter case. He asserted, "Modi is justifying the (Sohrabuddin`s) encounter today but his government had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that it was fake. At that time Modi should have gone to the Supreme Court and filed a affidavit saying that whatever was done by his police was right."

"But he arrested around 10 police officials in the case including three IPS officers. The inquiry that proves that the encounter was fake was also conducted by his police," he added.

Sohrabuddin Sheikh belonged to Jhirniya village in Ujjain district, and was allegedly involved in various extortion cases and a case was also registered against him in the Lasudia police station. A police team from Gujarat had also recovered 26 AK-56 rifles from a well situated on a government land adjacent to Sohrabuddin`s house in Jhirnya village in 1995.

EC not yet received speech report

The Election Commission today said it will take a decision on the speech of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi justifying the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in an encounter after it receives a report from Surat district collector.

"I have not yet received a report from Surat collector on the speech of Narendra Modi," Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy told reporters here.

"The news has appeared in media but once we will read an official report by the collector we will decide on what to do," he said.

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Economic Times
Development dumped, religion takes centre-stage in Gujarat

6 Dec, 2007, 0148 hrs IST, TNN

NEW DELHI: The BJP’S rivals have intensified their attack on Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi after he justified the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a fake encounter. The Congress, which has already described Mr Modi as ‘maut ka saudagr’ (or peddler of death), reacted to Mr Modi’s words by saying that they were proof that the party was right about the BJP leader.

Party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi also said that Mr Modi was guilty of contempt of court as the Sohrabuddin case was being heard in the Supreme Court. The CPM described Mr Modi’s comments as shameful.

The BJP, for its part, defended Mr Modi and said that he was ‘politically’ responding to the statements made against him. With the BJP hoping to use the Sohrabuddin issue to communally polarise voters ahead of the first phase of polling, the matter is now set to take centre stage ahead of the December 11 elections.

According to reports, Mr Modi had asked the crowd at the Mangrol rally: “What should be done to a man who stored illegal arms and ammunition? You tell me what should have been done to Sohrabuddin?” To this the crowd is said to have responded: “Kill him, Kill him”. And Mr Modi then said: “Well, that is it. Do I have to take Sonia Gandhi’s permission to do this? Hang me if I have done anything wrong”.

The Congress spokesperson told reporters in Parliament that if Mr Modi had asked some question to the people, his party too would like to do the same. “Doesn’t the chief minister know to honour the rule of law? If the chief minister holds anyone guilty will he be hanged from a tree like Sohrabuddin?”

Mr Singhvi also said that people should in a ‘constitutional manner’ remove the failed government in Gujarat. He demanded that the Election Commission should take suo moto notice of Mr Modi’s words and added that the Congress would take action against Mr Modi if it get elected to power.

CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury, while condemning Mr Modi’s remarks, said that even the prime minister could not decide the fate of a murderer and only the legal process could do so. “It is the law that pronounces the punishment.

To justify the act of a murder, it is even worse,” he said.

Central Election Commissioner, N Gopalaswamy, meanwhile, said the Election Commission would take a decision on Mr Modi’s controversial speech after if got a report on the matter. “I have not yet received a report from the Surat collector on the speech of Narendra Modi,” Mr Gopalaswamy told reporters in Surat.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who is in charge of the party’s Gujarat affairs, defended Mr Modi and said the chief minister had only ‘politically responded‘ to the kind of statements that the Congress was making. Mr Modi was responding specifically to Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s charge that he was a ‘merchant of death’, Mr Jaitley said.

Meanwhile, Mr Modi charged the Congress with defaming Hindus of the state by calling them terrorists (atankwadis), a day after he justified the encounter of Sohrabbudin.

“The Congress was defaming Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel by calling Hindus of Gujarat terrorists (atankwadis),” he said in an election meeting at Godhra, the sensitive town where the attack on Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002 led to the worst-ever communal riots in the history of the state.


Mr Modi was referring to Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s statement here on Sunday in which the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister had said that there was Hindu extremism in Gujarat.
To make the crowd responsive to his plank, Modi asked them whether they were ‘Hindus’ to which the chorus was ‘yes’. When he asked, if it was ‘atankwadi’ as the Congress says, they shouted ‘no’.

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Hindustan Times
December 6, 2007

Communal card back in campaign

Nagendar Sharma, Hindustan Times


With chief Minister Narendra Modi's comments at his public meetings in Godhra on Wednesday and Mangrol on Tuesday, the focus of the poll campaign has dramatically shifted from development to terrorism and communalism.

Both the BJP and the Congress seem to have realised that an election cannot be won in the absence of an emotive vote catching issue, political analysts and feel.

“In the 2002 elections, Hindutva forces were united," said well known social scientist Achyut Yagnik.

"But during the past five years, three shades of Hindutva emerged — hardline, Modi’s own brand and soft Hindutva. Modi carried on with Gujarati pride factor for a long time, but he has now realised that his development plank is not working and he would have to speak the language of the hardliners. After all the cadre are mostly hardliners."

Yagnik saw Modi’s statements about Sohrabuddin or Hindus being terrorists as an expression of his frustration at the poor response his campaign had been receiving. It was a bid to boost the sagging morale of his partymen. "But it was also an arrogant response which showed blatant disregard for law," said Yagnik.

Suresh Patel, a shopkeeper and staunch Modi supporter saw it very differently. “Sohrabuddin is not an election issue. The security of 5 crore Gujaratis is. That is what Narendra Modi is fighting for. If a community is bent on creating trouble, it must be exposed. We support Narendrabhai’s language and politics.”

Social activist Raiskhan Pathan felt that Modi's earlier emphasis on development was only to present a respectable face before the world. The real issue always was communalism.

“If you look carefully at the newspaper advertisements, initially the BJP was talking about development and Congress was contesting its claims. As the date for elections nears, the language in the ads has grown much more aggressive. There is a feeling in Gujarat that use of strong language gets you more votes,” he remarked.

Vithal Pandya, father of slain BJP leader, Haren Pandya and a known Modi critic said the chief minister stressed terrorism, because it helped him to play the communal card with ease.

"Modi needs to rake up controversial Muslim names to ensure votes, which are otherwise not coming his way," he said.

A rare contrary view among intellectuals was expressed by research scholar Diksha Mehta. She felt there was nothing wrong in talking about religious issues during elections.

“When a leader of the stature of Congress President challenges the undisputed leader of Gujarat, it was but natural for him to react and tell the world about his views. I see nothing wrong in it,” she said.

(with inputs from Rathin Das)