RSS hails HC verdict on Godhra panel

Varanasi, Oct 14 (UNI) The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) today hailed the Gujarat High Court judgement declaring as ''illegal,'' the setting up of U C Banerjee Committee, to probe certain aspects of February 2002 Godhra train carnage.

RSS national executive member Ram Madhav, interacting with newspersons here said, ''we had termed the Banerjee Committee as unconstitutional in September 2004, the time it was formed. It was a card played by Railway Minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad to impact the outcome of Bihar assembly elections in 2004.'' The court order has endorsed our standpoint on the Banerjee Committee being unconstitutional, he added.

At least 58 'kar sevaks' were killed in the fire inside S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express in February 2002 at Godhra.

Meanwhile, former Gujarat Chief Minister and presently Union Minister of Textile Shankersinh Vaghela denied comment on the episode saying it was sub-judice.

The senior Gujarat Congress leader, however, said that politicising such matters was "a old habit" of the BJP -- his erstwhile party. Playing politics on the issue will not yield any results for the saffron party, he added.

Mr Vaghela, further said that the Centre will soon decide its next course of action in the wake of the High Court order.

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