The Hindu : Front Page : Notice issued to Narendra Modi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 07, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Notice issued to Narendra Modi

J. Venkatesan

Election Commission seeks reply by Saturday

Narendra Modi

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Thursday issued notice to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his speech on Tuesday, justifying the encounter death of Sohrabuddin. It sought his response by 11 a.m. on Saturday.

The Full Commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami and Commissioners Navin Chawla and S.Y. Quraishi, took the decision after watching a video recording of the speech made at a poll rally at Mangrol.

The Commission said: “It has come to the notice of the Commission, through media reports, and further, a complaint dated December 5 has also been filed by Teesta Setalvad [social activist], alleging that the said speech amounted to an open exhortation to violence and misuse of religion for political ends, and so violative of the Model Code of Conduct apart from being violation of the Rule of Law.”

The Commission said it considered the various inputs and the complaint, and viewed the video of the speech. It, prima facie, was of the view that references to Sohrabuddin and linking his name to terrorism, amounted to indulging in activity that might aggravate existing differences, create mutual hatred and cause tension between different communities. Besides it would involve violation of the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct.

“The Commission has decided that for considering further action in the matter, you [Mr. Modi] are called upon to submit your reply in the matter, latest by 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 8.”

Gujarat counsel’s threat

K.T.S. Tulsi, senior counsel for the Gujarat government in the Supreme Court, threatened to resign if Mr. Modi did not apologise for his remarks. He told a television channel: “Unless the Chief Minister gives a suitable clarification and offers to apologise, it is not possible for me to represent the Gujarat government as counsel.”

Mr. Tulsi said that he found that the affidavit filed by the State government in the Supreme Court had clearly stated that the killing of Sohrabuddin was a cold-blooded murder, stage-managed in a fake encounter. It had said that the officers who had participated in the encounter had fabricated the evidence. The charge sheet had already been filed in the case and the statement by the Chief Minister at this stage on the way the suspected terrorist was dealt with was not acceptable to him, Mr. Tulsi said.

“Insult to Gujarat”

Manas Dasgupta reports from Himmatnagar, Gujarat:

Mr. Modi on Thursday charged Congress president Sonia Gandhi with “insulting” Gujarat by calling its Chief Minister a “merchant of death.”

Addressing a series of public meetings in the north and central Gujarat towns from Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district to Kapadwanj and Kathlal in Nadiad district before he flew off to south Gujarat, Mr. Modi targeted the UPA government for its “failure” on all fronts, particularly in checking the prices of essential commodities, causing great hardship to the poor.

He referred to Ms. Gandhi’s recent public address branding him as a “merchant of death” in the 2002 communal riots. He asked the audience: “Don’t you think it is an insult to Gujarat to call its Chief Minister such names?”

He said: “The real merchant of death is the Congress which is protecting terrorists like Afzal Guru.”

He was contesting only on the “development plank,” he asserted.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page