Amit Shah takes jibe at Congress’ 'satyagraha’, says PM Modi had appeared before SIT without 'drama, dharna'

Taking a jibe at Congress` `satyagraha` over ED questioning Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister appeared before the SIT in relation to probe over post-Godhra violence but the BJP did not resort to ‘drama or dharna’ during the questioning. Shah made the remarks in an interview with ANI after the Supreme Court dismissed the plea challenging the clean chit given by Special Investigation Team (SIT) to then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and several others in 2002 riots. The plea had been filed by Zakia Jafri. Amit Shah also referred to his facing arrest in Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, in which he was subsequently acquitted, and said no "dharna" was carried out.

"In a democracy, PM Modi presented an ideal example of how the Constitution should be respected by all political persons. Modiji was also questioned, but nobody protested, and (BJP) workers from across the country did not gather in solidarity with Modiji. We cooperated with the law. I was also arrested. There was no protest or demonstration," he said. 

"This is not the first clean chit to PM Modi. Nanavati Commission has also given a clean chit. Still the SIT was formed. And Modiji did not appear before the SIT doing drama... come in support from every village if not then call MLAs, MPs and ex-MPs, hold dharna," Shah added in a jibe towards the Congress party`s decision to hold demonstrations in national capital during Rahul Gandhi`s questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case.

"We believe that we should cooperate in the judicial process. There was a Supreme Court order, and an SIT was there. If the SIT wants to ask questions from the Chief Minister, he himself said that he is ready to cooperate. Why stage a protest? No person is beyond the law," he said. 

Shah said that protest cannot be justified against the judicial process."No protest is justified against any judicial process because our view is considered right when the judiciary says so. I was put behind bars. I used to say that I am innocent. But when the court said that a fake case was filed against me and there was a politically motivated conspiracy by the CBI to frame me, then my words proved right," he said.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar said on Friday that it found the appeal by Zakia Jafri was devoid of merit. "After cogitating over the matter, we uphold the decision of the Magistrate in accepting the stated final report dated February 8, 2012, submitted by the SIT, as it is and rejecting the protest petition filed by the appellant. We do not countenance the submission of the appellant regarding infraction of rule of law in the matter of investigation and the approach of the Magistrate and the High Court in dealing with the final report. Accordingly, we hold that this appeal is devoid of merits and resultantly, deserves to be dismissed in the aforementioned terms. We order accordingly," the bench said in its judgement.

 

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