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

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

New pathways for tourism growth

Traditionally, India’s tourism policy has been based on three main components: the number of visitors, building tourist attractions and providing facilities for tourists. Due to the increase in climate-related issues and environmental destruction that occurred over previous years, policymakers have b

Is the US a superpower anymore?

On April 8, hours after warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight,” US president Donald Trump, exhibiting his unique style of retreating from high-voltage brinkmanship, announced that he agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The weekend talks in Islamabad have failed and the futur

Machines communicate, humans connect

There is a moment every event professional knows—the kind that arrives without warning, usually an hour before the curtain rises. Months of meticulous planning are in place. And then comes the call: “We’ll also need a projector. For the slides.”   No email

Why India is entering a ‘stagflation lite’ phase

India’s macroeconomic narrative is quietly shifting—from a rare “Goldilocks” equilibrium of stable growth and contained inflation to a more fragile phase where external shocks are beginning to dominate domestic policy outcomes. The numbers still look reassuring at first glance: GDP

Labour law in India: A decade of transition

The story of labour law in India is not just about laws and codes, but also about how the nation has continued to negotiate the position of the workforce within its economic framework. The implementation of the Labour Codes across the country in November 2025 marks a definitive endpoint in the process. Yet

Time for India to build genuine resilience in energy security

There is a strip of water barely 33 kilometres wide between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world`s oceans. For most of India`s history, it was a distant geographic fact. Since late February, it has been a kitchen problem.   The Strait of Hormuz. T


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter