Opinion Modi Maya

A special report in its latest issue calls the special court’s verdict “a flawed judgement,bad in law” and laments the “quantum of punishment unheard of,innocents convicted”. However,the report’s thrust is less on legal loopholes and it is more an attempt to reject Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s critics’ suggestion that the convictions “took place ‘despite’ the Modi government and not ‘because’ of the Modi government”. For this,the report highlights that total convictions in the post-Godhra riots have risen now to about 200,including 34 Muslims,in 18 cases so far,and contrasts this with convictions in the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi,claiming that only 16 persons have been convicted in seven cases,even 28 years later.

In addition,given critics’ penchant for crediting the SIT,the report claims that 95 individuals had already been convicted even before the SIT was constituted and that convictions continue to happen even in non-SIT cases. It gives two examples. In the Naroda Patiya case itself,21 of the 32 accused were arrested by the Gujarat police even before the SIT’s monitoring. In the Sardarpura case,the report points out that only two of the 21 arrested by the SIT were convicted,while the remaining 29 accused were arrested by the Gujarat police.

“Also,these convictions,whether with SIT or without SIT,are a world record,” says the Organiser report.

Session Washout

THE washout of the monsoon session of Parliament get prominent space in both the Sangh Parivar mouthpieces. While it was the BJP which stalled Parliament over the coal block allocations,the Parivar mouthpieces fault the Congress.

Panchjanya,in fact,put the blame at the prime minister’s doorstep saying that it was the “stubbornness” of the PM’s denial of “the biggest scam” since Independence that was solely responsible for the washout. Panchjanya praises the BJP-led NDA for not falling into the government’s “trap” to hold a discussion on the issue. “Discussion in Parliament is the easiest and most secure cover for the government against any attack from the opposition as it enjoys majority in Parliament,” it says,praising the BJP for presenting a united front against the establishment’s attempt to break NDA unity.

Educated by Terror

The arrest of 18 professionals from Bangalore,Hyderabad and Nanded,suspected to be linked to a terror conspiracy,has got Panchjanya to raise the alarm. In a prominent article,Panchjanya expresses serious apprehensions about the infiltration of “Jihadi terror” into the minds of “young Muslim scientists,doctors and journalists”.

A full-page article on this issue also reminds readers of the alleged involvement of another journalist in the attack on an Israeli diplomat in Delhi,in order to attack the “religious organisations” pressuring the government to release those apprehended. The article suggests instead that religious organisations running their campaign for these “innocent” individuals should utilise their energy to enforce a “social boycott” of those linked to terror cases.

Compiled by Ravish Tiwari