SC judge Krishna Iyer hails Modi

Retired Supreme Court judge V R Krishna Iyer, who had led a Concerned Citizens Tribunal to Gujarat, to look into the 2002 communal riots, which had blamed Chief Minister Narendra Modi for it, has now endorsed the BJP’s decision to project him as the prime ministerial candidate.

In a letter to Modi wishing him on his birthday (September 17), Justice Iyer described the chief minister as “positive, someone of nationalistic virtue with global dimensions”. A state Information Department press release quotes Justice Iyer’s letter as saying: “I am committed to socialism. And I support Modi because he is also socialist and encourages Gandhian values: protection of human values and rights, brotherhood, justice at social, economic and political field.”

Justice Iyer led the tribunal, before which slain state minister Haren Pandya had deposed that in a late-night meeting on February 27, 2002, the day the Godhra train attack occurred, the chief minister had allegedly asked police and administrative officials to let Hindus vent their anger over the attack.

The state government press release says Justice Iyer wrote: “In the chair of Prime Minister, Modi will fulfil hopes and aspirations of the people of India and uphold national dignity.” 

Justice Iyer, 97, said Modi was getting support at the national level for his “good administrative skills and is quite capable of realising the great principles of Swaraj,” the release quotes the letter as saying. He also expressed his confidence that Modi would remove poverty from India, it added.

In his letter, Justice Iyer said Gujarat was the only state in the country that had used solar power on a large scale and emerged as a solar state under Modi’s leadership.

He added, according to the press release, that it was a credit to the chief minister that Gujarat is the only state in the country to implement prohibition and uproot corruption in public life, adhering to the principles and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.