Hyderabad, Mar 5 (IANS): Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi Sunday said Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi must spend rest of his life in jail for committing genocide in the state.
Warning that India will not be able to absorb another Gujarat, he said even if Modi is announced as the prime ministerial candidate, the consequences will be draconian.
Addressing a seminar on "Gujarat-10 years of shame" here, the MP from Hyderabad said it was sickening to see leaders of big MNCs going to Gujarat, praising Modi and saying he should be made prime minister of India.
"I am surprised by all these MNCs running to Gujarat and praising Modi as if he is some sort of messiah. I, as an Indian, don't want this economic growth. I want justice. What is the point of having this investment when you can't guarantee life of a Muslim, or any person of minority communities or any Indian."
Owaisi asked Congress to fight Modi boldly on secular platform. "For Modi to be dethroned in Gujarat, Congress should not be a B team of Modi. People of Gujarat should know the difference between a successor of Hitler and Mussolini and a party which claims that they are successors of Mahatma Gandhi."
The MIM leader, however, said the electoral victory will not exonerate Modi of the sins he has committed and pointed out that even Hitler had won election but it did not exonerate him from the crimes he committed against Jews.
A former police officer, a journalist, a filmmaker and an ex-chief election commissioner all shared their experiences in Gujarat.
Former additional director general of Gujarat police R.B. Sreekumar gave a detailed eyewitness account of the complicity of the state government and how the police officers were not allowed to perform their duties.
"Gujarat riots will remain a black mark on history and heritage of India," said the officer who has consistently provided evidence of the government's complicity to Nanavati Commission and Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Speaking about his experiences, former chief election commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh said Modi tried to target him for not succumbing to pressure for early elections.
Lyngdoh defended his action saying he went by the reports of state's then chief electoral officer and other officials on the law and order situation. "He (Modi) said James Michael Lyngdoh meets Sonia Gandhi in church. I am not church-going type person. I have not even visited any place of worship in the world," he said.
"I saw shades of Hitler," he remarked while referring to an incident during his visit to Gujarat.
Rahul Dholakia, who made "Parzania", spoke on the problems he faced in making the movie on the story of a Parsi boy who disappeared during riots. He described the difficulties he faced in releasing the movie and the pressure brought on him by different quarters.
Kingshuk Nag, resident editor of Times of India in Hyderabad, gave a ringside view of the post-Godhra happenings. He said when he visited Godhra the police officers had told him that there was no conspiracy behind the incident. Police later tried to retract the statement.
The journalist said the riots were not spontaneous as not a single incident took place for 24 hours and every thing appeared normal in Ahmedabad on the day when the train was burnt at Godhra.