Pakistan wades into Gujarat Assembly polls; demands inquiry into 2002 riots
Pakistan on Sunday waded into the Assembly elections in Gujarat, expressing concerns over what it termed as “confirmation” of the “direct involvement” of the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the violence against the Muslims during the riots that rocked the state in 2002.
It urged India to immediately constitute an independent commission of inquiry to bring to justice the culprits of the “horrific” burning of a train at Godhra on February 27 in 2002, as well as of the riots that subsequently wreaked havoc across the state.
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) alleged in a statement that a recent comment by Gujarat’s former chief minister, Shankersinh Vaghela, confirmed its “long-standing assertion” that the “BJP-led government under the incumbent Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) — who was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at the time of anti-Muslim riots in Godhra — was directly responsible for fomenting violence and massacre of Muslims.”
“This has been further corroborated indirectly by the Indian Home Minister, who recently claimed that those responsible for Gujarat riots had been ‘taught a lesson’ and ‘permanent peace’ had been established in Gujarat by BJP’s decisive actions,” the spokesperson of the MoFA added in the statement released on Sunday.
Vaghela stated that had the riot not happened in Godhra, the BJP would not have come to power in Gujarat.
He was apparently referring to Home Minister Amit Shah’s comment at an election rally in Kheda in Gujarat last Friday. Shah said that “anti-social elements” had earlier indulged in violence in the state as they had been supported by the Congress. But after the perpetrators had been "taught a lesson" in 2002, they stopped such activities and the BJP thus established "permanent peace" in the state.
Gujarat will go to polls on December 1 and December 5 next to elect the 182 members of its Legislative Assembly. The BJP, which is in power in the state and the Centre, is facing challenges from the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress.
This is not the first time Pakistan has waded into elections in India. It had commemorated 18th century ruler Tipu Sultan as the 'Tiger of Mysore' on his 218th death anniversary, ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls in Karnataka.
“It is an undeniable fact that India’s incumbent Prime Minister had been banned from entering countries such as the United States till 2014 because of his abysmal human rights record as Chief Minister of Gujarat,” the government of Pakistan said on Sunday.
“Sadly,” it added, “the entire Indian legal and administrative machinery is blindly pursuing the Hindutva-driven agenda of the ruling BJP-RSS nexus, where perpetrators of hate and violence are protected by law and enjoy exalted status, whereas religious minorities are constantly threatened and denied the freedom to practice their faith without fear, while their lives, property and places of worship remain under threat of violation.”
Pakistan also called upon the international community, particularly human rights activists and defenders to take serious note of the aggravating situation of Islamophobia in India. It also called on the Indian government to ensure that the rights of minorities, especially Muslims, are safeguarded and their lives protected.