New Delhi, Aug 07: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said the NHRC's plea to Supreme Court for a fresh trial in the Best Bakery and other cases posed a question mark on India's federal structure and would create barriers in society. "It is for the Supreme Court to respond to NHRC's plea. It (NHRC) has not said anything against the state government. As far as I am concerned, India is a federal structure. Do we negate that? It is an important constitutional issue. I don't know whether the apex court will address it but you (media) can always use the NHRC to defame us," Modi said.
Modi recalled that during Congress rule from 1985-92, the state government went in appeal to the High Court in only two out of 5000 cases.
"Ninety six per cent people were acquitted, the reason being lack of sufficient evidence. Even in the two cases, they appealed as the judges themselves said they were confused and some other court should look into the matter," he said.
Regretting that only four of the riot cases were being treated as important, he asked, "Why this discrimination. If someone dies individually, it is not important, but when something happens collectively, it becomes very important. Doesn't he have any human right. You (media) are creating barriers in society."
Defending his decision to meet the president, Modi said "he (President) is the custodian of the Constitution. He is the first citizen. People submit memoranda twice a week to him including on Ayodhya but nobody talks about that." Bureau Report