Modi writes to PM, complaints against Chidambaram

On Saturday Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi write to Prime Minster Manmohan Sing accusing home minister P Chidambaram of promoting indiscipline in the Gujarat police force. The PM was also urged by him to intervene in the matter and resolve the problem. On Friday a fresh war of words existed between the Centre and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Gujarat Government's action against two senior police officials, who had made stunning revelations about the role of Modi and other ministers during the 2002 anti-Muslim riots. It was stated by Chidambaram that the Centre had the option of protecting the two IPS officers, Sanjiv Bhatt and Rahul Sharma, in case they approached the Centre seeking help against victimization. He said the rules do provide for the Centre to take certain decisions at certain stages. But for the same the officer concerned has to invoke the rule. If so then he made it clear that they would certainly look into it. Reacting sharply the BJP asserted that the statement of the Home Minister amounted to unnecessary interference. According to the senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, if the officers of a state government are indulging in any indiscipline, it is for the State Government to deal with them. He also added that if there is unnecessary interference by the government of India then the issue would be raised by the BJP seriously. Last week, Bhatt, who had filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court against the Modi Government over the Godhra riots issue, was suspended. The Deputy Inspector general-rank officer Sharma, on Thursday, was issued show-cause notice for handing over call letters of BJP leaders and government officials during the riots in CD to various agencies, including the special investigation team that was set up to probe the riots. Rajinish Rai, another Police officer who is fighting a legal battle with the state for downgrading his annual confidential report, accused former chief police P.C. Pande and former junior home minister Amit Shah of destroying evidence and delaying investigations into the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. Immediately after Chidambaram's statement, the Gujarat government swung into the action.

In a press release, the state government spokesperson and health minister Jay Narayan Vyas said that, the false propaganda is being spread that Shri Sharma is being penalized were as in actual Sharma has not been suspended and no charge-sheet has yet been served on him.

 By, SM