Bolstered by the Tehelka sting operation on the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat, Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Friday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to get Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani arrested for their alleged role in it.
"The sting operation by Tehelka aptly christened 'Operation Kalank' (disgrace) has exposed Modi's deep involvement in the post-Godhra Gujarat riots. People now know the real faces involved in the crime against humanity," Lalu told media persons.
"Just because Modi enjoys the patronage of senior BJP leader L K Advani, the Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, the latter cannot escape culpability for the mass murder," he said.
Prasad urged Dr Singh and Patil to instruct authorities for instituting criminal cases against the two leaders immediately and demanded that the two be sent to jail. The railway minister said the incidents were a 'blot' on Indian democracy as also humanity and added that then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani and Home ministry officials were 'equally guilty' for the carnage.
Lalu, however, did not seek any action against Vajpayee. He apprehended that the BJP could utilise the sting operation to once again whip up passions in the state with an eye on elections.
Lalu said Tehelka weekly had claimed to have 'irrefutable' evidence that the killings of Muslims in the post-Godhra train carnage in Gujarat was 'not a spontaneous swell of anger but a genocide' planned and executed by top functionaries of the Sangh Parivar and state authorities 'with the sanction' of Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
He said the sting operation was conducted over the last six months by talking to a number of Sangh Parivar leaders, including Godhra BJP MLA Haresh Bhatt, Shiv Sena leader Babu Bajrangi and VHP leaders Anil Patel and Dhawal Jayanti Patel to bring out the truth.
The Railway minister said it had vindicated his stand as he has been charging BJP, Shiva Sena and RSS of 'being deeply involved in the carnage.'
"I will meet the prime minister and Union home minister soon to press for registration of case against Modi and Advani and they be sent behind bars without any delay," he said.
Lalu also said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should immediately snap his ties with the communal forces if he intended to be a 'secular leader.'
"BJP and its leaders now stand exposed before the nation," Lalu said, adding "I am really happy that the confessions made by the leaders of the VHP, RSS and Shiv Sena have exposed the real faces involved in the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat."
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