The victims of the 2002 post-Godhra violence criticised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, for not appearing before the Special Investigation Team in Ahmedabad in connection with a riots case and asked him to come clean.
Some of the riot victims from the city, who were brought together by an NGO Citizen for Justice and Peace run by Teesta Setalvad, said that Modi had always said that he was with the riot victims but "by not going before Supreme Court-appointed SIT he had shown that he does not support us". "What is he (Modi) afraid of? When SIT summoned him the government spokesperson said that CM would cooperate with the process of law. So why does he (Modi) not go before SIT and cooperate," said Imtiyaz Khan Pathan, a victim who survived the riots at Gulburg society where 69 people including former Member of Parliament Ehsan Jaffery were killed on February 28, 2002.
Another riot victim of Gulburg society Saeed Khan Pathan said that Modi should have appeared before SIT and respected the law. "Modi has been saying that he was clean and innocent. Why doesn't he come forward and prove that he is clean and was in support of the riot victims," said Sayra Sandhi who lived in House no 6 of Gulburg society. Sandhi had lost four members of her family during the riots eight years ago.
Another riot victim of the Naroda Patiya case where 95 people of minority community were killed on February 28, 2002, lamented the long trial. "The case (of Naroda Patiya) has been going on for so many years but we are yet to get justice," said Jannat Bibi who survived the attack.