Lalu expresses disbelief over Nanavati report

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad says that no youth would have turned terrorists had the BJP leader been punished.

Expressing disbelief over the Nanavati Commission report which gave a clean chit to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Thursday said no youth would have turned terrorists had the BJP leader been punished.

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"People will not believe that Modi is innocent. He is a communal virus centre and has been disallowed to travel abroad. Had he been punished for his crime, no youth would have turned terrorists today," Prasad, who had instituted the Banerjee Commission on the Godhra train tragedy four years back, said.

"Even former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had advised Modi to maintain "Raj dharm" in the aftermath of Godhra incident. All social organisations, civil liberties groups have also criticised Modi for the communal violence in Gujarat," he said.

Noting that this is a very contradictory report as compared to that of the Banerjee Commission report, which went into the same incident, he said this has led to a "confusing" situation as both are former Supreme Court judges.

"We are procuring the report of Nanavati Commission and will examine it to decide the future course of action. We will see what law has to say about it," said Prasad.

He also objected to the Nanavati Commission handing over the report to Modi instead of the Chief Secretary of the state.

Prasad said he had tabled the interim report of the Banerjee Commission in Parliament but was prevented from submitting the final report by the Gujarat High Court.

"I am fighting the case in the High Court and I will take it to the Supreme Court if necessary. I will not forget the issue," he said.

Referring to the report of Banerjee Commission, Prasad said, "his report clearly said the fire was accidental and it was quite impossible to throw anything inside the coach from outside. However, the report of the Nanavati Commission constituted by Modi government is saying something else," he said.