Don't misconstrue SC order: Sanjiv Bhatt to Modi

Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt has written an open letter to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying the Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart has "completely misconstrued" the order passed by the Supreme Court in the Gulberg Housing Society riot case of 2002.

"It seems you have completely misconstrued the judgement and the order passed by the Honourable Supreme Court of India in Criminal Appeal No 1765 of 2011 arising out of SLP (CRL) No 1088 of 2008 that is Jakia Nasim Ahesan Versus State of Gujarat," Bhatt wrote in a letter to Modi.

"Let me clarify that even by a long shot, the order of the Supreme Court has nowhere, even remotely, suggested that the allegations contained in the complaint filed by Mrs Jakia Jafri (widow of ex-Congress MP Ahesan Jafri who was killed in the riot) were unfounded or false," he said.

"The order of the Honourable Supreme Court is, in fact, a very major leap in the direction of delivering justice to the hapless victims of the Gujarat pogrom."

"The order over which some are gloating in feigned glee is, in fact, a very cleverly worded order that takes the perpetrators and facilitators of the 2002 carnage a few leaps closer to their day of reckoning," Bhatt said.

Please ...

"The false bravado comes across as a very smart attempt to mislead the gullible people of Gujarat and instill a false sense of confidence in the political rank and file", Bhatt said.

On September 12, the apex court declined to pass any order on Modi's alleged inaction to contain the riots in 2002 and left it to the Magistrate's court concerned to decide the course of action against him on the basis of SIT report.

Jakia had filed a complaint in the SC, seeking action against Modi and other government officials for the riots.

Bhatt has taken on the Modi government by claiming he was
present at a meeting held on February 27, 2002, (hours after the Godhra train burning) at the CM's residence where Modi had given specific instructions to police officials to go soft on rioters.

Bhatt, who was DCP (State Intelligence Bureau) in Ahmedabad in 2002, was suspended by Modi government last month for not reporting to work for nearly 10 months.

The IPS officer's letter comes a day after Modi wrote an open letter to citizens where he hit out at his detractors for "defaming" him for the 2002 riots and announced he would undertake a three-day fast from September 17 for peace, harmony and unity in the BJP-ruled state.

"As one of the 'six crore Gujaratis', I feel deeply pained and cheated when the likes of you, consciously or inadvertently, mislead the people of Gujarat for ulterior motives," Bhatt said in the letter.

"Gujarat has gained infamy not because of the hapless victims who are tirelessly crusading for the cause of justice and truth, but because of the despicable actions of the people who sowed and cultivated hatred to reap political and electoral benefits. Please give it a thought," he said.

"As all of us understand there can be no Sadbhavna or goodwill without truth and justice. But let me warn you that genuine heartfelt goodwill is something we cannot demand, buy or extort...we can only strive to deserve it. And it is not going to be an easy task," Bhatt said.