Narendra Modi denies he was summoned by SIT

Gandhinagar, Mar 22 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he was not summoned to appear before a Special Investigating Team (SIT) probing 2002 Gujarat riots cases on March 21.

On Monday evening Modi released an open letter defending his stand.

In a strong statement issued a day after he was reported as having kept the panel waiting for him to appear before it, Modi said: "It is a matter of grave concern and needs investigation as to why and who started spreading lies that Narendra Modi has been summoned by SIT on March 21."

In the statement Modi pointed out that March 21 happened to be "a Sunday and a public holiday."

"The purveyors of lies did not even bother to check whether the SIT officers appointed by Supreme Court were present in Gujarat on March 21," Modi said.

Modi alleged that the date March 21, was given out by "some vested interests and as part of the effort to interfere in the due process of law."

Modi said in his statement that he would respond to the SIT, "fully respecting law and keeping in view the dignity of the body appointed by the Supreme Court."

The SIT headed by former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director K R Raghavan, is looking into nine cases of 2002 Gujarat riots.

The SIT asked Modi to appear in connection with the Gulbarg Society carnage case.

Earlier in the day, the Gujarat High Court issued a notice to the Nanavati Commission asking it to explain, by April 1, whether it too would summon Narendra Modi as part of its inquiry on the Gujarat riots of 2002.(ANI)