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Thursday, Dec 13, 2007
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Election Commission’s translation of Modi’s speech read out in court

New Delhi Bureau

NEW DELHI: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s election campaign speech at Mangrol in Surat district on December 4 has generated a national controversy.

The subject was the killing of Sohrabuddin. On May 3 this year, the Gujarat government admitted in the Supreme Court to the killing of Sohrabuddin by the State police in a fake encounter on November 26, 2005 and the subsequent disappearance of his wife Kausar Bi and her death and the disposal of her body. Further investigations are on into the connected death of Tulsiram Prajapati.

What exactly did Mr. Modi say?

Here is an excerpt from the Election Commission’s translation of Mr. Modi’s Gujarati speech and the reaction from the audience:

Mr. Modi: “Congressmen say that Modi is indulging in encounter, telling that Modi has killed Sohrabuddin. Friends from Congress, you have a government at the Centre, if you have the guts send Modi to [the] gallows. You tell me what to do with Sohrabuddin?”

From crowd: not very clear (“Kill him, kill him”)

Mr. Modi: “Sohrabuddin, from whose possession [a] large cache of AK 47 rifles were found, same Sohrabuddin whom police of four States were looking for, Sohrabuddin who attacks police, Sohrabuddin who maintains connections with Pakistan, who raises eyes on Gujarat, then what will my police do?”

(Some murmur from the crowd which is not very clear)

Mr. Modi: “Should they [the Gujarat police] go to take permission from Soniaben?”

This excerpt was read out in the Supreme Court on Wednesday by Gujarat government counsel Mukul Rohatgi and it became the basis on which the contempt notice was issued to Mr. Modi.

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