Zeenews Bureau
Naroda: The Gujarat police on Sunday detained activist Mallika Sarabhai and several victims of the 2002 riots at Naroda Patia ahead of a planned protest against Chief Minister Narendra Modi`s `sadbhavna` (goodwill) fast.
On day two of Modi`s fast, activists Mukul Sinha, Bharat P Jala and Shamshad Pathan were also detained.
With Naroda Patiya, a locality in Ahmedabad, riot victims resolving to hold a protest, the entire Naroda village was ringed by the police. People were prevented from coming out of their homes and those who turned up, found their vehicles seized by the police and turned away.
Sinha, a lawyer, and others were taken to police headquarters from near the Noorani mosque. "There can be no sadbhavana without justice," Sinha said.
While being taken to the police station, Sarabhai said a police officer told her that they were instructed Saturday morning to arrest her before her protest at Naroda Patiya.
The activist said police gave her no reasons while taking her to the police station. "No reason was given... The police said they were instructed," she said.
Condemning Modi`s three-day fast, Sarabhai asked what was the point of `sadbhavana` when even after nearly 10 years, the 2002 Gujarat riots victims have got no justice.
"We were to hold a silent protest. I have no idea what I am being charged with," she said.
Earlier in the day, the noted danseuse had accused Modi of using public funds to "bribe her lawyers" in an attempt to derail proceedings of the PIL filed in the Supreme Court by her on the post-Godhra 2002 riots case.
-
"Chief Minister Narendra Modi had called the then State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief RB Sreekumar and another IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who was his deputy in SIB at that time, and asked them to pay my lawyers Rs 10 lakh to derail the proceedings of PIL filed in the Supreme Court by me," she alleged.
