SIT report on 2002 riots to come up tomorrow, Modi slams anti- Guj forces

Chief Minister Narendra Modi today warned that "anti-Gujarat" forces are trying to harm the state, a remark that came on the eve of a local court taking up the crucial SIT report on the 2002 post-Godhra riots that is reported to have given him relief.

"There will be a storm in the form of criticism in the next 24 hours, but the anti-Gujarat forces will not be successful in doing any harm," Modi said at Ambaji, about 180 km from Ahmedabad, after his day-long Sadhbhavana fast held at today without elaborating.

"Those who have been criticising Gujarat for the last one decade are going to come back to abuse us once again and this is because they cannot digest the success of Sadhbhavna that is peace, unity and harmony," Modi said.

The court of Metropolitan Magistrate M S Bhat in Ahmedabad will conduct a crucial hearing tomorrow on the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team(SIT) report on allegations of abetment of post-Godhra riots against Modi and others.

The SIT report, which is believed to be final, has reportedly stated that there is no 'prosecutable evidence' against Modi in the complaint filed by Zakia Jaffery, the widow of former Congress MP Ehsaan Jaffrey, in the Gulburg Society case where 69 people were killed during the communal clashes.

Magistrate Bhat will also hear the petitions filed by social activists Teesta Setalvad and Mukul Sinha seeking copies of the report filed in a sealed cover before his court on Wednesday. In his speech, Modi also urged the 'anti-Gujarat forces' to accept that peace, harmony and brotherhood prevails in the state, and not to treat Gujaratis as people of an enemy state.

He also told the 'anti-Gujarat forces' to do their politics outside Gujarat. "They have done enough of salt rubbing into our wounds, but they cannot misguide the people of Gujarat. They cannot see Muslims, Christians and people of other religions working together. Few people who are against Gujarat are baffled by the success of Sadhbhavna," he said.

Earlier, the apex court had asked the SIT to investigate whether there was any larger conspiracy behind the 2002 riots in which more than 1200 people were killed. SIT after questioning many people, including Modi, had filed a report in the Supreme Court in which it had reportedly said that there was no prosecutable evidence against the chief minister.

The apex court had then asked amicus curie Raju Ramchandran to independently assess the SIT report. Modi also criticised Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for his recent statement that malnutrition was a shame for the nation.

"He (Prime Minister) accepted that malnutrition was a shame, but what next. What to do? Merely expressing his pain will not resolve the problem," Modi said. Gujarat has shown the way with regard to malnutrition, where hundreds of people donated Sukhdi(sweet preparation made of jaggery and wheat flour) and dry fruits for the malnourished children, he said.