Guj HC raps Modi govt for 'inaction' in post-Godhra riots

The Narendra Modi government was today pulled up by the Gujarat High Court for "inaction and negligence" on its part during the 2002 post-Godhra riots that led to large-scale destruction of religious structures.

A division bench of acting chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala made these observations, while ordering compensation for over 500 religious structures in the state. The court was hearing a petition filed by Islamic Relief Committee of Gujarat (IRCG). Inadequacy, inaction and negligence on the part of the state government to prevent riots resulted in large-scale destruction of religious structures across the state, the court observed.

The government was responsible for repair and compensation for such places, it further said. The court said that when the government had paid compensation for destruction of houses and commercial establishments, it should also pay compensation for religious structures.

The court also ordered that principal judges of 26 districts of the state will receive the applications for compensation of religious structures in their respective districts and decide on it. They have been asked to send their decisions to HC within six months.

IRCG's petition in 2003 had sought court's directions to the government to pay compensation towards damage of religious places during riots on the ground that the National Human Rights Commission, too, had recommended and the state government had in principle accepted the suggestion.