MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

even if one does, it is too risky a venture, especially if he is in the government. The National Commission
for Minorities (NCM)'s re quest to the Gujarat govern ment to provide it a tran script or tape of Narendra
Modi's controversial gaurav yatra speech in Bhechraji has sent the officials in a tizzy. While the yatra
organisers have denied that Modi has made any objectionable re marks, BJP general secre tary Arun
Jaitley said there were "inaccuracies" in the print media's reporting of the speech. But sources sug gest
that there was conclu sive evidence to prove that Modi indeed went overboard while talking about the minorities
"multiplying them selves". The two videographers who were present during Modi's speech were
actually commissioned by the state BJP. So, the officials do not know how to lay their hands on the tapes,
knowing well that they could be used for criminal proceedings against the chief minister. (Times of India
13.9.02)
14 TH September
Minorities panel wanted Modi’s speech, govt says sorry (7)
GANDHINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 13: FORMER Chief Minis ter Keshubhai Patel says that if Narendra Modi
made the anti-Muslim remarks, as re ported, it is "unfortunate." Patel, or for that matter the National
Commission for Minorities which asked for a copy of Modi's speech, may never know. For, the state
government today expressed its inability to send the transcript. Chief Minister's Principal Secre tary P K
Mishra told The In dian Express: "Since the gov ernment has neither any tapes nor a transcript of the CM's
speech, it is not in a po sition to send the same to the NCM." (Indian Express 14.9.02)
15TH September
Modi will stay CM if BJP wins: Venkaiah (7)
Sundernagar, September 14: A DAY after BJP leader Keshubhai Patel said Narendra Modi might not
be chief minister if the party came back to power in Gujarat, BJP president Venkaiah Naidu said Modi
would hold the same office if the party won. Naidu denied that Patel had said anything against Modi.
Patel's was only a "justified comment" that the elected MLAs would de cide the next chief minister of
Gujarat. Naidu also denied differ ence of opinion within the party on the decision to hold the Assembly
elections un der Modi's leadership. Naidu, who was in Hi-machal Pradesh's Mandi district to kick off the
BJP's campaign for the state elec tions, told mediapersons that reports of differences within the party
existed "only in newspapers, not on the ground". (Hindustan Times 15.9.02)
Gujarat victims facing starvation: NRIs (7)
NEW DELHI, SEPT. l4.Raising an alarm over the grim situation in the strife-torn Gujarat, a group of NRIs
from the U.S. today de plored the Government machinery for "fail ing to provide much relief to the victims of
communal riots and disbursing paltry amount of money in the name of rehabilitation". Speaking to the
press here at the end of their nine-day "Sadbhavana Mission" to Gujarat and New Delhi, 12 delegates
from New York, North Carolina, Chicago, Dela ware, Washington, Maryland, New Jersey, Michigan and
California expressed their deep anguish over what has been happen ing over the past six months in
Gujarat un der the "State Government's patronage". The delegation included Nishrin Hussain, daughter of
the former Congress MP, Ahsan Jafri, who was killed in the riots. "During our visit to different parts of the
riot-hit State, we found the situation to be far more grim than what is being reported in the media. With the
Government remov ing relief camps, victims are on the verge of starvation as they have no means of livelihood.
Though there are some relief camps being run by different organisations but no official help is
reaching them," said the del egation leader, Shrikumar Poddar. (Hindu 15.9.02)
Gujarat events a shame: PM (7)
NEW YORK, SEPT. 14. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, has reiterated that the Gujarat riots
were not a "good thing." Addressing members of the In dian community at a reception on Friday night, Mr.
Vajpayee said that wherever he went, there was a discussion on Guj arat. The Gujaratis themselves said
that they indulged in riots every two years, but this was "not good." "A situation should not be created at
home which forces us to bow our heads in shame be fore others (abroad)," Mr. Vaj payee said. In what was
a distinct aside in his otherwise general speech on India and In dians living abroad, he sought to reinforce
his "moderate" im age in the light of the happen ings in Gujarat. Earlier, Mr. Vajpayee was told by a
delegation of the American Federation of Muslims from In dia (AFMI) that there was need to ensure that
India's secular, pluralistic status was not com promised. Attacking the Rash-triya Swayamsevak Sangh
and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the AFMI chief, A. Rahman Nakedar, said the authorities had al lowed a