The Supreme Court of India on Friday delivered an important judgment regarding the 2002 Gujarat riots case, in which it dismissed the plea challenging the clean chit given to then Chief Minister Narendra Modi and other cases related to the riots.
Just a day after the Supreme Court judgment on the riots, the Gujarat anti-terrorism squad team on Saturday arrived at the residence of activist Teesta Setalvad in Mumbai and took her to the Santacruz police station. The action came after Union Minister Amit Shah in an interview with ANI said that Teesta Setalvad-run NGO gave baseless information about the 2002 Gujarat riots to the police.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Amit Shah said, “I have read the judgment very carefully. The judgment clearly mentions the name of Teesta Setalvad. The NGO that was being run by her - I don’t remember the name of the NGO - had given baseless information about the riots to the police.”
Who is Teesta Setalvad?
Teesta Setalvad is an activist and journalist who is a founding trustee and secretary of the NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP). The NGO was established right after the 2002 Gujarat riots and provided legal and financial support to the victims of the riots.
Setalvad became a prominent face in standing up for the victims of the Gujarat riots and pushed the Supreme Court into launching an SIT probe into the post-Godhra violence six years later. A series of allegations were also launched against her in the Gujarat riots.
Setalvad also launched a series of allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the CM of Gujarat at the time. She also took the lead while representing the case of Zakia Jafri, who had sought an FIR against PM Modi for his alleged role in the Gujarat riots, which led to the death of her husband and Congress leader Ehsan Jafri.
Why was Teesta Setalvad detained?
Several charges were leveled against Teesta Setalvad in 2006, including allegedly hurting religious feelings, fabricating false evidence, and trespassing on burial places among other charges. She was also slammed by the BJP for attacking Narendra Modi without “substantial evidence” and running a defamation campaign against her.
Now, the anti-terrorist squad team detained Setalvad for allegedly spreading misinformation regarding the Gujarat riots. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also alleged that she was given a massive sum of money to run a campaign against PM Modi and “defame” India.
READ | 2002 Gujarat Riots: Sonia Gandhi fueled Teesta Setalvad’s campaign against PM Modi, alleges BJP
