Joint Statement by Leaders of Muslim Organizations
Cancel K.G. Shah’s Appointment and Appoint a New Commission of Inquiry
With a Sitting Supreme Court Judge and Two Sitting High Court Judges
New Delhi, 12 April, 2002: Several Muslim organizations of
national eminence have in a joint statement strongly condemned the
appointment of Mr. Justice (Retd.) K.G. Shah as the Commission of
Inquiry for the Gujarat disturbances by the State of Gujarat and
demanded a 3-man Commission, presided over by a sitting Judge of the
Supreme Court.
The statement reads:
"According to all available evidence, the State Government and its
agencies have a direct hand in organising, encouraging and prolonging
the perpetration of mass violence in Gujarat which has resulted in a
massacre of genocidal dimension and massive destruction of property.
In the wake of orchestrating the massive destruction of the life and
property of the Muslim community, the State Government is now engaged in
an Operation Cover Up. For this purpose, it has appointed a one-man
Commission of Inquiry in the person of Mr. Justice K.G. Shah, a retired
Judge of the High Court, who is well-known in the legal circle as the
High Court Judge who had pronounced an extremely biased, unfair and
malafide judgement in the Laliwada Case which was subsequently reversed
by the Hon’ble Supreme Court which had earned him some uncomplimentary
remarks. Mr. Shah on retirement and until recently served as the
Standing Counsel for the Government of Gujarat in the Supreme Court.
When the State Government is itself in the dock and stands indicted by
the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for
Minorities and when its black deeds have been noted in the national and
international press and registered by the electronic media, Mr. Narendra
Modi Chief Minister has handpicked a judge who shares his ideology and
mindset. Such a Commission of Inquiry cannot command the trust and
confidence of the suffering people of Gujarat.
We, therefore, reject his appointment with all the emphasis at our
command in the interest of Justice and Fairplay. We demand that his
appointment be cancelled forthwith and as in 1969, a proper Commission
of Inquiry consisting of a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court and two
Sitting Judges of the Gujarat High Court, as selected by the respective
Chief Justices be appointed.
We are of the unanimous view that in case the Gujarat Government does
not heed this justified demand, the Muslim community of Gujarat shall
have no option but to boycott the Justice K.G. Shah’s Commission in
toto.
Sd/-
1. Syed Nizamuddin, General Secretary, AIMPLB
2. Syed Shahabuddin, President, All India Muslim
Majlis-e-Mushawarat
3. Jalaluddin Umri, Acting President, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
4. Mahmood Madani, General Secretary, Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind
5. Kalbe Sadiq, Chairman, Tauheedul Muslimeen Trust, Lucknow
6. Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait, President, Indian National League
7. G.M. Banatwalla, President, Indian Union Muslim League
8. Abdur Raheem Quraishi, President, A.I. Majlis Tameer-e-Millat
9. Asrarul Haque Qasmi, Asstt. General Secretary, All India Milli
Council
10. Asghar Ali Imam, General Secretary, Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith
11. Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, President, A.I. Majlis Iteehadul
Muslimeen
12. Ameeduzzaman Keranvi, Acting President, Tanzeem Ibna-e-Qadeem,
Deoband
13. S.Q.R. Ilyas, Convener, AIMPLB Committee on Babari Masjid q
|
