Enough evidence to prosecute Modi: Teesta Setalvad -Governance Now

Enough evidence to prosecute Modi: Teesta Setalvad

“I don’t know if there’s enough evidence to convict him. But to derail the possibility of prosecution is to actually deny that any evidence exists”

Pranita Kulkarni | March 7, 2017 | New Delhi

#book discussion #Narendra Modi #Teesta Setalvad

Reiterating that the state had a definite role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, social activist Teesta Setalvad said on Monday that the there’s enough evidence to prosecute the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. “I don’t know if there’s enough evidence to convict him. But to derail the possibility of prosecution is to actually deny that any evidence exists,” she said.

Setalvad was speaking at a discussion of her memoir: ‘Foot Soldier of the Constitution: A Memoir’, organised by The Caravan in association with Press Club of India and LeftWord publications in New Delhi. The book narrates her life experiences revolving around the 2002 Gujarat massacre. The discussion was moderated by journalist Hartosh Singh Bal.

Speaking about the possibility of prosecution, Setalvad said that it’s not a closed chapter yet. “The SIT appointed by it [supreme court] said that there’s not enough evidence to prosecute, but the Amicus Curiae filed by… Raju Ramchandran had clearly said that there’s enough evidence to prosecute.”

She cited a statement by author Vibhuti Narayan Rai from an interview in which he had said, “No communal riot can continue for more than 24 hours, if the state doesn’t support it.”

Setalvad added, “For me, it’s a test for the courts. It’s a real test for the courts in this country that whether they can stomach this evidence and digest it.”

She also said that the SIT has become hostile to the [riot] survivors, and conflict of interest plays a role in this hostility. “The SIT lawyers get Rs 9 lakhs per hearing in the court. I have an RTI reply to confirm this information. And who is paying them? The Gujarat government! How can it not be a conflict of interest?” she questioned.

Taking on the incumbent government, she said that the situation in India is worse than the USA, because “Trump doesn’t have an RSS behind him.” Calling the government a “crude force”, she said that the “legitimisation of hatred” is underway.

“There’s push-back on the Forest Rights Act, push-back on land acquisition. Gujarat, Maharashtra, MP – all three BJP states have passed a land acquisition bill, which is awful, which is worse than the land ordinance at the centre. What stumps me about the UPA 2 is, that the Congress has not been able to defend the good legislations, the good rights bills passed under UPA 1 and UPA 2,” said Setalvad.

The book discussion was supposed to take place at the Oxford Book Store in Connaught Place but had to be shifted to a different venue, as Oxford opted out of the event citing ‘hostile’ circumstances in Delhi.

Comments

Other News

BJP set to capture West Bengal

The political map of the country is set to be redrawn with the BJP set to win the West Bengal assembly elections, apart from Assam and the union territory of Puducherry. In Kerala, meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF is set to regain power. The filmstar Vijay-led TVK has emerged as the front-runner in Tamil Na

Beyond LPG: Is PNG ready for India’s next cooking fuel transition?

India, the second-largest importer and consumer of LPG after China, faces growing pressure due to supply constraints. Most of India`s LPG imports transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a focal point of global turmoil. Given that LPG forms the backbone of household kitchens and the restaurant industry, any s

Maharashtra adopts hybrid model for Census 2026 data collection

The government has initiated preparations for Census 2026 in Maharashtra, introducing a hybrid approach that combines optional self-enumeration with comprehensive door-to-door data collection to ensure complete coverage across the state. According to senior officials, the Self-

What the nine Indian Nobel winners have in common

A Touch Of Genius: The Wisdom of India’s Nobel Laureates Edited by Rudrangshu Mukherjee Aleph Books, Rs 1499, 848 pages

Income Tax dept holds Ghatkopar Outreach on new IT Act

The Income Tax Department organised an outreach programme in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, to raise awareness about the key features of the Income Tax Act, 2025, effective April 1, 2026. The initiative is part of a nationwide effort to promote taxpayer awareness, simplify compliance, and strengthen a transparent, eff

Making AI work where governance is closest to people

India’s next governance leap may not solely come from digitisation. It will come from making public systems more intelligent, more adaptive, and more responsive to the dynamics at the grassroots. That opportunity is especially significant at the panchayat level, where governance is not an abstract po