Panaji: Goa legislative assembly on Friday will discuss a private members resolution demanding strict action against BBC for its controversial documentary on the Prime Minister.
As per the agenda released by State legislature department on Thursday evening on its website, BJP MLA Daji Krishna Salkar has moved a private members resolution which resolves that the assembly requests the central government to take strict action against the whimsical findings shown in the BBC documentary.
The resolution moved by Salkar reads “This House resolves that “Our allegiance as Indians should not be affected by any kind of competing allegiance” as quoted by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. A recent documentary released by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is yet another malicious attempt to blame the then State Government for the Godhra carnage in Gujarat and the consequent communal riots that took place in Gujarat in the year 2002.”
Salkar has said that in response to the detailed investigation conducted regarding these unfortunate incidents of year 2002, the State Government vide notification dated 6.3.2002, formed an Inquiry Commission headed by High Court Justice K.G. Shah. The State Government vide
notification dated 21.5.2002 appointed retired Supreme Court Justice G.T. Nanavati as the Chairman and retired High Court Justice K. G. Shah as the Member of Nanavati Shah Commission. On 20.7.2004, history was created by including the conduct of the then Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers within the scope of the Commission’s inquiry.
“This unprecedented action fulfils the principle of accountability and transparency. At the end of
the extensive investigation conducted by the said Inquiry Commission, the Commission, it came to the conclusion that the incident of burning a train compartment at Godhra railway station on 27.2.2002 was a premediated conspiracy,” the resolution reads.
Salkar said that the communal riots that broke out in Gujarat after February 27, 2002 were spontaneous.
“The Commission in its report it has stated that no evidence has been found that the State Government, religious organization or political party played any role in these riots. Both the above reports have been tabled in the Assembly. It becomes important for this House to review
the incident with this in mind, which clearly leads to the innocence of the
current Hon’ble Prime Minister in the Gujarat riots of 2002,” he said.
“Moreover, any collusion and inaction on behalf of the Government of Gujarat has been
steadfastly denied by the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” he added.
The Vasco MLA said that in the context of these incidents in Gujarat, there has been a deliberate and malafide attempt to discredit the popularity of the then Chief Minister and the Present Prime
Minister of India through a recently released B.B.C. documentary.
“Twenty years since the incident, the BBC seems to be playing a negative role by releasing a documentary with an agenda to taint the rising international prestige of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, his resolute leadership and to thwart his determination to make India a world leader in the social and economic spheres,” the MLA said.
Salkar said that this documentary holds the then Chief Minister directly responsible for these unfortunate events that took place in Gujarat, which is in stark contrast to the Nanavati Commission’s “clean chit” to the State Government over the Godhra carnage and consequent communal riots.
He has resolved that the attempts made by some nefarious elements and NGOs who act as instruments of the foreign Governments by moving Metropolitan Court, Gujarat High Court and
Supreme Court with the demand to hold the then Hon. Chief Minister, office
bearers and officials accountable directly or indirectly, have been
unsuccessful.
Salkar said that the BBC documentary, with maligned intentions misrepresenting the events of 2002, is a malicious and a low-level attempt to tarnish India’s global image internationally. India is a democratic country and freedom of expression is at the core of its Constitution. But, that does
not mean that any news media can act in a capricious manner by abusing such freedom.
