'Communal Virus Centre'

'It was an accidental fire': UCBannerjee

Justice UC Bannerjee who carried out a separate probe into the Godhraincident maintained that it was an "accident" and could never havebeen triggered through petrol. The Bannerjee committee, set up by RailwayMinister Lalu Prasad in September 2004, in its report submitted in 2005 had saidthe burning of S-6 coach of Sabarmati express on February 27, 2002 was anaccident. "I have recorded my findings that it is an accidental fire. I hadexamined a large number of witnesses, including an Income Tax Officer, whosubmitted that they had crawled on the floor to get out of the burningcoach." While 250 people could escape to safety, there were 58 who wereasphyxiated due to thick smoke. The sequence of the fire was somethingdifferent. "This sequence could never have been in a petrol fire," hesaid.

'Not Surprised': Congress

Congress said it was "not at all surprised" by the findings of the G T Nanavati Commission, appointed by the Gujarat government, giving a clean chit toModi. "We are not at all surprised by the result. It is a Commission created virtually by the principal accused Narendra Modi to investigate into the system of thestate on which he presides," Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said. "You cannot expect an impartial report from a Commission which had to submit its report to the same Government which constituted it," headded.  Singhvi said it could have been in the fitness of things if the Commission was appointed from outside the state.Criticising the Gujarat government, he said the Supreme Court had transferred the cases relating to Godhra violence outside thestate, something which is rarely done. It is a "stinging commentary" on the impartiality of the stategovernment.

'This Is The Truth'

BJP meanwhile is ecstatic and claims that the report exposed Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's contention that the incident was an accident. "We will request that the matter should proceed according to the Nanavati Commission report in the courts also. It will prove to be a milestone in convicting the culprits," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekarsaid. "More than 50 Kar Sewaks were burnt alive and Lalu Prasad Yadav had made an effort to show it as an accident via the Bannerjee Commission report, which was ill-conceived and never conducted an exhaustive inquiry," Javadekar said. He said Nanavati Commission had brought out the truth that the Godhra carnage was a plot, a deliberate attempt and an attack from outside.

Javadekar maintained that police records were so strong that even the Supreme Court had upheld the police version and not granted bail to the culprits of the carnage. "This is the truth. They (Congress) can start a debate but people were burnt alive.. There was fury over it. Still there was an attempt by the UPA dispensation to prove that the burning was self-immolation by Kar Sewaks to commit suicide," he said.He said the report had proved that it was not a case of mass suicide but an attack from both sides.

The BJP labelled the earlier Bannerjee Commission report as "ill-conceived, ill-prepared, ill-motivated and politically motivated" while calling the Nanavati Report scientific, exhaustive and judicial work.

'Contempt of Court'

Social activist Teesta Setalvad, who was at the forefront of the campaign for justice to the victims of Godhra riots, allegedthat Narendra Modi has committed contempt of court by releasing the Nanavati Commission report in theState Assembly.

"I would like to point out that the Chief Minister has scant respect for the rule of law and investigation. He has committed contempt of the Supreme Court by releasing the report at this juncture," she charged.

Setalvad said the Raghav Behl committee appointed by the Supreme Court is going into the Godhra incident. "By releasing the report at this juncture, it is clear that the Chief Minister wants to use this manipulative report as an electoral arsenal".

'Eyewash'

LJP chief and Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan dismissed the Nanavati Commission report as an "eyewash" and CPI termed the findings as "partisan".The CPI said the Nanavati Commission report was "partisan" and not acceptable to it."The report is unacceptable to us. We will oppose it. I am flabbergasted. It is a partisan report," said CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said.Agreeing, Paswan said, "The Godhra incidents were state-sponsored terrorism with an aim to garner political gains". The CPI(M) said splitting up of the Nanavati Commission report into two parts with the first part going into Godhra train carnage is "politically motivated" and has "raised manyquestions".

'Communal Virus Centre'

RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, who had instituted the U C Banerjee Commission four years back to go into the incident, said "people will not believe that Modi isinnocent. He is a communal virus centre and has been disallowed to travel abroad. Had he been punished for his crime, no youth would have turned terroriststoday. Even former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had advised Modi to maintain"Raj dharm" in the aftermath of Godhra incident. All socialorganisations, civil liberties groups have also criticised Modi for the communal violence inGujarat.

Noting that this is a very contradictory report as compared to that of the Bannerjee Commission report, which went into the same incident, he said this has led to a "confusing" situation as both are former Supreme Court judges. "We are procuring the report of Nanavati Commission and will examine it to decide the future course of action. We will see whatthe law has to say about it," said Prasad.

He also objected to the Nanavati Commission handing over the report to Modi instead of the Chief Secretary of the state.Prasad said he had tabled the interim report of the Banerjee Commission in Parliament but was prevented from submitting the final report by the Gujarat High Court."I am fighting the case in the High Court and I will take it to the Supreme Court if necessary. I will not forget the issue," he said.

Referring to the report of Banerjee Commission, Prasad said, "his report clearly said the fire was accidental and it was quite impossible to throw anything inside the coach from outside.However, the report of the Nanavati Commission constituted by Modi government is saying something else," he said.

'Landmark Judgement' 

VHP international secretary Pravin Togadia said that the report has established that Godhra train carnage was a "pre-planned attack." The fact that 140 litres of petrol was purchased a day before the train fire proves that it was a "pre-planned attack," Togadia said on the sidelines of the parishad's national council meeting in Agra. The meeting decided to stage a nationwide agitation against jihadi forces. Togadia also urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to disassociate himself from any dialogue process with Pakistan.