By IANS
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Friday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to order a fresh Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat following the Tehelka exposé that showed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged role in the carnage.
In a letter to the prime minister, Mayawati stressed the need to bring the guilty to book.
“The manner in which the direct involvement of the Gujarat government and some close allies of the ruling BJP has been brought to light in the sting operation … clearly shows how the massacre of members of a particular minority was undertaken with evident state patronage,” the chief minister noted.
An undercover operation conducted by Tehelka weekly has caught Hindu activists alleging that Modi sanctioned the 2002 riots, in which more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed.
Mayawati reminded the prime minister of the killing of the Congress’ former member of parliament, who was burnt alive during the Gujarat riots.
“The Gujarat massacre has already put the entire nation to shame; and since the sting operation has thrown light on certain vital facts, it would be pertinent to get the entire issue probed afresh by the CBI,” she said.
While urging the Centre to publicly condemn the facts brought forth in the sting operation, Mayawati said: “Deterrent action is required in the matter, not only to bring the guilty to book, but to also ensure due justice to the riot victims as also to restore the shaken confidence of the minority community in the Indian secular democratic system.”