‘He fought for 19 years, braved pain’: Shah defends Modi after Guj riots verdict

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “endured false allegations” linked to the 2002 Gujarat riots silently for 19 years because.

The legal process was on, a day after the Supreme Court confirmed the then Chief Minister’s exoneration.
“Modi ji endured false charges in silence for 19 years, nobody did a dharna,” Mr Shah told news agency ANI in an interview, taking a swipe at the Congress which has been demonstrating for days over the interrogation of senior party leader Rahul Gandhi in a money laundering case.

Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday hailed the Supreme Court verdict in the 2002 Gujarat riots which rejected plea seeking probe into ‘larger conspiracy’.

In an interview to news agency ANI, Shah said all allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi were politically motivated. “A tall leader fought this 18-19-yr-long fight without saying a word and braving all pain like ‘vishpaan’ of Lord Shankar…I saw him suffering through this very closely. Only a strong-willed person could’ve taken stand to not say anything as case was sub-judice.”

“Troika of BJP’s political rivals, ideologically driven politically motivated journalists and some NGOs publicised the allegations. They had a strong ecosystem so everyone started believing lies to be truth,” Shah said.

During the interview, Shah also spoke on Zakia Jafri, the petitioner and wife of Congress leader Ehsan Jafri who was killed during the riots. “Today SC said Zakia Jafri worked on someone else’s instructions. NGO signed affidavits of several victims and they didn’t even know.

Everyone knows Teesta Setalvad’s NGO was doing this. When UPA Govt came to power at that time, it helped the NGO,” the home minister said, blaming activist and lawyer Teesta Setalvad.

Shah also launched an all out attack on the Congress which protested while its leader Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case.

“Modi ji didn’t do drama while appearing before SIT – come out in my support, call MLAs-MPs & stage dharna…If SIT wants to question CM,he himself is ready to cooperate. Why protest?..,” he said.