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No reason for Modi to quit: Gujarat Minister

Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government on Friday rejected the Congress demand for the resignation of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in the wake of the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) summoning him for questioning in connection with the 2002 Gulberg Society massacre.

Cabinet spokesman and Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas said the Congress was “daydreaming” of Mr. Modi's resignation. “The party may wish for anything but there is no reason for Mr. Modi to quit.”

The BJP government and Mr. Modi always respected and cooperated with the judiciary and the law and order machinery, and would “continue to do so,” Mr. Vyas reiterated, hinting that the Chief Minister would not try to duck the SIT summons.

Sources in the Chief Minister's office, however, indicated that he might seek a change of date in responding to the summons, fixed by the SIT for March 21, because of some prior engagements.

The demand for his resignation was made by the former Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Arjun Modhvadia, both inside and outside the House.

Talking to journalists, Mr. Modhvadia said the summons was issued based on the court's directives and on the strength of the evidence collected by the SIT, and so Mr. Modi should quit on moral grounds. He expressed the hope that the SIT would not stop with questioning Mr. Modi and would take the investigation to its logical end.

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