By TCN News,
New Delhi: Expressing deep concern over the reports that the security cover has been removed from Sanjiv Bhatt, the IPS officer who blamed CM Modi for 2002 Gujarat riot, several human rights activists shot off a joint letter to Home Minister P. Chidambaram demanding adequate and effective security to Bhatt.
“We as concerned citizens, individuals, activists, political workers, leaders feel extremely perturbed by the report of withdrawal of security cover of Sanjiv Bhatt. Therefore, we are writing you to ensure that adequate and effective security cover be provided to Sanjiv Bhatt and his family urgently because he is entitled to protection as per the witness protection rules ordered by the Honorable Supreme Court for the witnesses of the communal riot cases, being investigated by the SIT constituted by the Supreme Court” demands the letter to the Home Minister.
IPS Sanjiv Bhatt filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court relating to SIT investigation on the complaint by Zakia Jafri against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as well as senior politicians and bureaucrats. He alleged that Modi at a meeting asked senior police officers to let Hindu mobs vent their anger against Muslims during 2002 Gujarat riot.
“Sanjiv Bhatt’s affidavit contains important evidence against Modi. Earlier, the late Haren Pandya, the former State Minister, who submitted similar information to the Citizens Tribunal, headed by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, had been assassinated in suspicious circumstances. In the background of these circumstances and the prevailing conditions in Gujarat report about the withdrawal of security from Sanjiv Bhatt comes as a rude shock and is very disturbing” the letter added.
The letter has been sent by prominent human rights activist and chief of ANHAD Shabnam Hashmi with the signatures of following people of different organizations and groups.
1. Aamir Edresy, Association of Professional Muslims, Mumbai
2. Abdul Khaliq, Awadh Public Charitable Public Trust, Delhi
3. Abu Saleh Sharief, economist, Bangalore
4. Aditi Mangaldas, Dancer, Delhi
5. Admiral Ramdas, peace activist, former naval chief, Alibag, Maharashtra
6. Amitabh Behar, social activist, Delhi
7. Annie Raja, President, National Federation of Indian Women, Delhi
8. Anuradha Chenoy, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University
9. Biju Mohan, filmmaker, Barabanki, UP
10. D Raja, MP, leader, Communist Party of India, Delhi
11. Danish Ahmed, National Secretary, Janata Dal (Secular)
12. Dhirendra Panda, social activist, Orissa
13. Dr Harshvardhan Hegde, orthopedic surgeon, Delhi
14. Dr Jaya Mehta, Economist, Sandarbh, Indore
15. Dr. Ram Puniyani, writer and activist, Mumbai
16. Farukh Shaikh, film actor, producer, Mumbai
17. Father Cedric Prakash, Human Rights activist and Director Prashant, Ahmedabad
18. Gagan Sethi, social activist, Centre for Social Justice, Ahmedabad
19. Githa Hariharan, writer, novelist, Delhi
20. Hanif Lakdawala, social activist, Director Sanchetna, Gujarat
21. Harsh Dobhal, Human Rights Law Network, Delhi
22. Harsh Mander, activist, writer, member NAC
23. Indu Kumar Jani, writer, journalist, Ahmedabad
24. Jai Sen, CACIM , Delhi
25. Kamla Mitra Chenoy, Professor, JNU
26. Kavita Srivastava, General Secretary, PUCL, Rajasthan
27. Kedar Mishra, poet, journalist, Orissa
28. Lalita Ramdas, peace activist, Alibag
29. Madhumita Ray, social activist, Orissa
30. Mahesh Bhatt, filmmaker, Mumbai
31. Manas Ranjan, social activist, Orissa
32. Mohd Azam Khan, activist, Hyderabad
33. Mushirul Hasan, Historian, Delhi
34. Naasiruddin Haider Khan, Journalist, Delhi
35. Nandita Das, actress, Mumbai
36. Nasiruddin Shah, Actor, Mumbai
37. Paul Divakar, National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights, Delhi
38. Prasad Chako, social activist, National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights, Ahmedabad
39. Prashant Paikray, social activist, Orissa
40. Prof KN Panikkar, Historian, Kerala
41. Prof Ramesh Dixit, Lucknow University, Lucknow
42. Prof Rooprekha Verma, Former Vice Chancellor, Delhi University
43. Ram Vilas Paswan, President, Lok Jan Shakti Party
44. S Irfan Habib, Historian, Delhi
45. Saba Dewan, filmmaker, Delhi
46. Saeed Mirza, film director, writer, Mumbai, Goa
47. Sampad Mohapatra, journalist, Orissa
48. Sania Hashmi, filmmaker, Delhi
49. Seema Duhan, social activist, Orissa
50. Seema Mustafa, journalist, Delhi
51. Shabnam Hashmi, social activist, Anhad, Delhi
52. Sharmila Tagore, actress, Mumbai, Delhi
53. Sheba George, social activist, Director, Sahrwaru, Ahmedabad
54. Shubha Mudgal, artists, singer, Mumbai
55. Sohail Hashmi, filmmaker, writer, Delhi
56. Sonia Jabbar, filmmaker, Delhi
57. Subhash Gatade, columnist, writer, Delhi
58. Sukumar Muralidharan, Journalist, Delhi
59. T Haridas, Jansanskriti, Delhi
60. Utkarsh Sinha, activist, INSAF, Lucknow
61. Urvashi Butalia, writer, activist, Delhi
62. Uttam Parmar, social activist, Surat
63. Vineet Tiwari, Progressive Writers ‘Association, Sandarbh, Indore
64. Vrinda Grover, advocate, Supreme Court
65. Zafar Agha, Editor, Jadeed Mail, Delhi
66. Zakia Soman, social activist, Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, Gujarat