Verdict victory for Modi, claims BJP

Claiming it was a "victory" for Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party today said the Supreme Court verdict asking a trial court to hear a petition against him in the killing of former MP Ehsan Jafri in the 2002 riots was a relief for the politician.

Claiming it was a "victory" for Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said the Supreme Court verdict asking a trial court to hear a petition against him in the killing of former MP Ehsan Jafri in the 2002 riots was a relief for the politician.

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"It is not just a relief for Modi, but a victory for Modi," BJP spokesperson Balbir K Punj told reporters in New Delhi.

The apex court order came after a petition filed by Zakia Jafri, the widow of Ehasan Jafri, urging a probe into Modi's role in the Gulberg society carnage and the trial of the case by a special court outside the state.

Punj said Modi will now "play a much larger role in the national political scene".

He said at no stage did the party believe Modi was involved in the riots.

Another party spokesperson Prakash Javdekar said leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha and former law minister Arun Jaitley will give a detailed briefing about the verdict in the afternoon.

The Supreme Court Monday directed a trial court to hear the petition by Zakia Jafri, widow of former MP Ehsan Jafri who was killed in the Gulberg Society carnage during the 2002 riots, against Modi.