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Current Focus: Gujarat Carnage: The Aftermath |
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Last Updated on May 15, 2006 PUCL, May 2006 Gujarat police accused of inaction, again Economic Times, May 5, 2006 VADODARA: People belonging to the minority community have alleged police “inaction” in protecting their lives and property and they were, in fact, the target of police action in the violence in the last three days, following the demolition of a 200 year-old dargah on Monday. Times of India, May 5, 2006 NEW DELHI: Fearing a revival of the 1992 communal flare-up in the wake of the recent “dargah” demolition in Vadodara, the Centre on Thursday moved the Supreme Court swiftly and got a stay on a Gujarat High Court order directing demolition of temples and mosques encroaching on public land. IBN News, May 4, 2006 Washington: The Sangh Parivar and BJP-led governments have come under severe attack from a US commission, which said the Indian government should hold to account the perpetrators of the 2002 Gujarat riots to display the country’s return to its tradition of religious tolerance. NDTV News, May 4, 2006 The Supreme Court has stayed the Gujarat High Court order which asked for the demolition of all illegal, unauthorised religious structures in the state. PUCL Press Release, May 2, 2006 PUCL condemns unruly and inhuman behavior of the Police, ignoring and bypassing all guidelines and norms for acting in such situations. (PULC Letter dated May 3rd, 2006) The Hindu, May 26, 2005 Kochi, May 26 (UNI): Stating that perpetrators of human rights violations continued to enjoy immunity from punishment in many cases, Amnesty International today said the Gujarat state authorities had failed to bring to book those responsible for widespread violence in 2002. Lavanya Rajamani, The Indian Express, March 30, 2005 Leaders, like Modi, accused of complicity in perpetrating genocide yet at large, should curb their wanderlust as a matter of prudence. A lesson that Henry Kissinger, accused of war crimes in Indo-China, and elsewhere, has learnt. The days of untrammeled respect for state sovereignty, and unquestioned head of state immunity are long gone. Rajiv Desai, The Times of India, March 29, 2005 The saffron brotherhood believes it has total support from non-resident Indians, especially in America. I lived and worked in the US for nearly two decades and it thrills me that a progressive NRI lobby succeeded in its campaign against Modi. NRIs were faced with the tag of being religious fundamentalists. The success of the anti-Modi lobby will go a long way in changing that perception. Anil Dharker, The Indian Express, March 30, 2005 This is not the time for “our” values and the US’s values. It is the time to argue for the compeuppance of every abuser of human rights New Kerala.com, India News, March 27, 2005 The US decision to deny visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi may have pleased victims of the 2002 sectarian violence, but survivors say what they truly seek is justice. sify.com, 27 March , 200 New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in the eye of a storm following denial of visa by the US, has said he was not against Islam but against jehad and terrorism. “As far as Narendra Modi is concerned, I am not against Islam. But I am against jehad and terrorism,” Modi told a television channel. Narendar Pani, The Economics Times, March 27, 2005 The entire affair of Narendra Modi and his US visa showed yet again that Indian national pride is alive and well. It was only to be expected that Mr Modi and the BJP would treat the visa cancellation as an affront to India. By Harbaksh Singh Nanda, United Press International,March 25, 2005 Modi’s U.S. visit may not have got him as much political mileage as he got by his refused visa. The visa denial is like killing two birds with one stone. It suits Modi’s political ambitions because he has emerged as a martyr or a hero among the majority Hindu community. The visa denial also suited Washington’s desire to portray itself favorably in the Muslim world. Times News Network, March 25, 2005 NEW DELHI: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has for the first time admitted that the post-Godhra communal incidents were wrong. In a television interview, Modi said “whatever happened at Godhra or thereafter was wrong” and “this sort of happening is not good for any society”. The statement comes at a crucial time. A week ago, Modi was denied visa to visit the US on grounds that he violated “religious freedom”. His proposed visit to Britain had sparked protests in the country. Modi in fact cancelled the trip after the Centre pointed out to him the possibility of a security threat. Times News Network, March 25, 2005 New Delhi: Serious Concern About The Personal Safety Of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Was Just One Of The Reasons Why The Centre Advised Him To Call Off His Trip To The UK. The Indian High Commission in London had alerted the Centre about a determined bid by British groups to get one of the courts there order Modi’s arrest during his stay in the UK, sources said on Friday. Express News Service, March 25, 2005 Ahmedabad, March 24: Barely a week after the US denied him a visa, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has cancelled his weekend visit to the UK on security grounds. Indiatimes News Network, March 24, 2005 NEW DELHI: American Express Corporation has withdrawn its sponsorship for the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) convention beginning Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was to have addressed the association if he had not been refused entry into the US by the Bush administration. Rashmee Roshan Lall, Times News Network, March 22, 2005 LONDON: Even as controversy brewed over Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming 36-hour visit to Britain, both ‘love Modi’ and ‘loathe Modi’ camps here appear amazingly united on one key point: the Gujarat chief minister may literally and figuratively face the music but threatened legal action in a London court for crimes against humanity will fizzle out again, as it did 19 months ago. By Jo Johnson in Delhi, March 22 2005 The US’s stance leaves Britain under pressure to follow suit as Mr Modi plans to attend a celebration of Gujarati music at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Saturday. British Muslim and human rights groups are protesting at his UK entry. Times News Network, March 21, 2005 The largest Indian-American lobby group USINPAC described the denial of visa to Modi as an “unfortunate incident”. “It is a reminder that Indian Americans need to participate more deeply in the political process in the US,” said Robinder Sachdev, director of the group. It was sustained lobbying by one part of the Indian American community in the US that led to the visa denial, and among other things is a stinging indictment of the divided nature of the community. BBC Online, March 21, 2004 The United States has reaffirmed a decision to refuse the controversial Indian politician, Narendra Modi, permission to enter the country. Press Trust of India, New Delhi, March 21, 2005 A diplomatic spat between India and the US intensified Monday with New Delhi sharply criticising Washington’s persistent refusal to grant visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying it was not in keeping with democratic traditions and practices. PTI, Gandhinagar, March 21, 2005 Denied a visa for a business visit to the US, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today spoke to an Indian-Americans audience over satellite telling them that a “disinformation campaign” was being launched to malign India. PTI, New York, March 21, 2005 The US is reconsidering the denial of visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, a leading Congressman and founder of India caucus group Frank Pallone said today. He said he would work to get Modi’s visa restored.“If there is difference of opinion, there should be a dialogue and not attempt to shut out a view point,” Pallone said at a meeting convened by the Association of Indian Americans of North America. H S Rao in London, March 20, 2005 Close on the heels of the US denying visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to visit that country, two United Kingdom-based voluntary organisations are planning protest demonstrations during his proposed visit to London next Saturday. Ranjit Devraj, IPS, Mar 20, 2005 It’s a rarity for the United States to lend its ear to Indian human rights campaigners, let alone take any action on their petitions. But Washington’s cancellation Friday of a U.S. visa given to right-wing politician Narendra Modi, blamed by human rights groups for the deaths of more than 2,000 Muslims in Gujarat state in 2002, was an exception. UNI, New Delhi, Mar 19, 2005 The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), whose findings the US claimed formed the basis for denying visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, today shot back at Washington, saying the Bush administration had blown its observations over the 2002 riots out of proportion. PTI, March 20, 2005 Asian American Hotel Owners Association in the United States has decided to cancel invitation to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi following the decision of the Bush administration to deny him visa to travel to the country. Times News Network, March 20, 2005 AHMEDABAD: At least 35 organisations representing NRIs in the US have urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to contest the US’ denial of a visa to Narendra Modi. Times News Network, March 19, 2005 Faced with loud protests over the denial of a visa to Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, the United States on Saturday said it would consider India’s request to take another look at the decision. PTI, March 20, 2005 BJP President L K Advani would participate in a massive “Swabhiman” (Self-respect) rally to here tomorrow to protest against US decision to deny visa to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, state party sources said. By Rupak Sanyal, Associated Press, March 20, 2005 AHMADABAD, India, March 19 – Hindu nationalists set fire to a PepsiCo warehouse in western India on Saturday to protest the U.S. denial of a visa to a state official because of his role in religious riots in 2002. |
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