Congress wants Modi to "step down" over 2002 Gujarat riots case

Gandhinagar, Mar 11 (ANI): The Congress Party on Thursday demanded Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to resign after he was summoned to appear before a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on March 21 to explain his role in a 2002 Gujarat riots case.

Addressing the media, Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari, said: "What happened today should have happened many years ago. A Chief Minister of Gujarat and his government presided over the worst massacre of minorities that independent India witnessed in the last 62 years."

"It is perhaps for the first time that a sitting Chief Minister has been summoned to appear before a SIT on mass murder. It would be appropriate that he should step down before appearing before the SIT," Tiwari added.

The SIT has reportedly said that it has collected enough evidence and asked Modi to respond to them.

The SIT has said it would question Modi with regard to the February 28, 2002 Gulberg Society carnage.

A turbulent mob attacked the Gulberg Society in Chamnapura locality Ahmedabad and burnt at least 37 people alive.

The Supreme Court had appointed the SIT to enquire into the 2002 Gujarat riots that followed the burning of the Sabarmati Express at Godhra that claimed 59 lives.

The SIT headed by former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director R. K. Raghavan is to submit its report to the Supreme Court by April.

The summons to Modi is in connection to a petition submitted by Zakia Jaffrey, the widow of Ehsan Jaffrey, a former Congress Member of Parliament, who was murdered during the Gulberg Society riots.

The Gulberg case is totally separate from the nine other cases related to the Gujarat pogrom.

Zakia Jaffrey had filed a 100-page complaint alleging the involvement of Modi and 62 others. (ANI)