M A I N   N E W S

NHRC to discuss Modi’s defiance

New Delhi, April 21
In the backdrop of the Gujarat Government rejecting major recommendations of it, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is meeting this week to discuss the defiant stand of the state government.

The commission will meet immediately after the return of NHRC Chairman J. S. Verma from Geneva on April 25 to discuss the response of the Gujarat government to its preliminary remarks and recommendations on the communal riots in the state, sources told PTI.

Mr Verma, who was in Geneva for a UN conference, referring to the Gujarat carnage at the international fora had said the NHRC had directed the Centre and the state government to take steps to bring to justice those responsible for violations of the rights and to end the sufferings of the victims and the commission would reflect the same after receiving the responses to its directions.

The Gujarat Government, in its 18-page report in response to the remarks and recommendations of the NHRC, had rejected the commission’s demand for a CBI probe into the “critical cases” of communal violence.

While severely indicting the state government for its “failure to control the situation” and passing severe strictures on the police and the investigating process, the NHRC recommended that the Godhra, Chamanpura and Naroda Patiya incidents, the Best Bakery case in Vadodra and Sardarpura case in Mehsana district be entrusted to the CBI.

Rejecting the CBI probe, the Gujarat Government has said since the administration was already investigating the incidents of violence and a Commission of Inquiry has been set up, there was no need to entrust the cases to the CBI.

It has also virtually rejected the NHRC’s recommendation pertaining to punishment to those police officials who failed to perform their duty in protecting the people.

Since the K. G. Shah Commission of Inquiry was already looking into the matter, the state government will wait till the findings of Shah Commission were out to take action against those police officials who allegedly failed to perform their duty, the state government said responding to the commission’s recommendations.

On other recommendations, including restoration of religious places, the state government has said it was looking into the matter and considering issues like funds required for it.

However, reports were that the state government was yet to restore or reconstruct any religious place.

While the Gujarat Government has virtually rejected the major recommendations of the NHRC, the Centre has sought time till April 30 to respond to the commission’s preliminary remarks and recommendations.

In its interim report, the Centre said it needed to gather information from various ministries which would take some time.

The responses of both the Centre and state government were received by the NHRC last week but could not be discussed immediately with the Chairman and some members being away to Geneva for the conference. PTI