Modi abandoned his loyalists after Naroda-Patiya verdict:Bhatt

Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, a known Narendra Modi baiter, has accused the Gujarat Chief Minister of "abandoning" his "loyal lieutenants" after the Naroda-Patiya verdict by the special court.

Bhatt claimed that he had tried to take part in the much publicised live online chat by Modi last night on 'Google+Hangout', the first by any prominent Indian politician, but his questions were not chosen for the sesssion.

"You must have been apprised about the punishment meted out to your loyal lieutenants Dr Maya Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi, as well the misguided foot-soldiers of misconceived Hindutva, who have now been condemned to spend a life in prison," Bhatt said in one of his questions he had posed to the BJP stalwart.

"Was it perchance that you smartly distanced yourself from all these unfortunate people at an opportune moment? Have you spared a thought for the innocent family members of the accused who have been sentenced to a lifetime behind bars?," Bhatt said.

A special court yesterday awarded life imprisonment to BJP MLA Maya Kodnani, Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi and 29 other convicts for the Naroda Patiya riots of 2002 where 97 people were brutally killed.

"Have you even once thought whether it is really worth it to sustain power, even if it requires sacrificing fellow human beings at the altar of expediency?

Have you ever considered, even once, whether it is alright to facilitate or connive in the killing of another human being just because he does not conform to your beliefs? Is it really worthwhile to deceive your own self…. or, is it only a small price to pay for your political ambitions?", Bhatt went on to question.

Bhatt has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court alleging that the riots were carried out under the patronage of Modi. 

Meanwhile, in a letter to Kodnani today, Bhatt said, "Did it ever occur to you that slaughtering fellow human beings is a gruesome crime, even if it is committed under state patronage? Did it ever occur to you that those who patronised you might one day betray and sacrifice you for political expediency?

"You are a woman and a practicing gynecologist. How could you participate in butchering innocent and helpless women and children? You never felt the pain of the people who were screaming for mercy, who were begging for their lives," he said.