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

Regulating the data advantage: India’s new e-Commerce framework

For over a decade, India’s e-commerce story has rested on a simple premise: platforms connect buyers and sellers, while data fuels efficiency, personalisation, and scale. However, as the market matured, its structure has revealed a growing imbalance. E-commerce platforms, especially marketplace ent

Changing weather patterns, climate change responsible for Nepal floods

The interaction between active Western Disturbances, increased atmospheric moisture and the region’s complex topography aswell as global warming are important factors behind intense rainfall in the Himalayas, leading to flash floods in Nepal, according to meteorologists. Nepal

A right she cannot reach

Last summer, the two of us spent several weeks in rural Madhya Pradesh with a non-profit that works on gender justice through women’s self-help groups. We went in with a notebook full of laws. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. The Dowry Prohibition Act. Free legal aid for every wo

Tier-2 cities lead India’s digital credit push

Digital payments have become a reflex for urban India, but the confidence earned in paying has not yet carried over to borrowing. That is the central finding of `How Urban India Pays Report 2026`, released by Pahlé India Foundation in collaboration with Amazon Pay. Based on a survey of 5,149 consu

India calls for doubling bilateral trade with UK by 2030

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has called upon businesses in India and the United Kingdom to translate the opportunities created by the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) into expanded trade, investment, partnerships and job creation. Addressing the Bu

Gandhian movement after Gandhi failed: Ram Guha

The Gandhian movement in India, after Gandhi’s death, failed, says Ramachandra Guha, and blames Vinoba Bhave for it. But the movement found new, fertile grounds around the world and succeeded in bringing about a change in South Africa, the US and elsewhere. It is high time it returned home. Of cour