When Sonia Gandhi Did Not Visit Zakia Jafri in Ahmedabad'.

NEW DELHI: An exchange of letters again has former Gujarat state Director General of Police B. Sreekumar reiterating that Congress President Sonia Gandhi did not visit the widow of party leader Ahsan Jafri who was brutally killed in the 2002 violence in a letter to the latter’s son Tanvir after receiving a missive from him. Sreekumar has written that “Instead Congress leaders summoned your mother, an old widow, under severe shock, agony and despair to the place of stay of Congress President. This act is highly deplorable, sinful and violating all social conventions and canons of ethics and morality.”

The controversy follows a claim to this effect made by Sreekumar, who has been one of the few challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat violence, in a recently published book “Gujarat, Behind the Curtain.” He had written, “Soulless secularism and over-sensitivity to Hindu sentiments presumably prompted Congress leaders to block the plans of Congress President Sonia Gandhi to visit Zakia Jafri, widow of former Congress MP, butchered to death by rioters on the bandh day (28th February 2002), during her Gujarat visit after the riots, for expressing condolence. This is in contrast to action of Indira Gandhi, who risked her life and visited Belchi village (Bihar), where many Dalits were massacred by upper caste rowdies, during the regime of Janata Party, even by crossing river Ganga overflowing due to monsoon, riding on an elephant.”

This has prompted Tanvir, the son of Mrs Zakia Jafri who survived her husband and has been fighting relentless in the courts for justice, to write, “Dear Sreekumarjee,

Ms Soniajee Ghandhi met my mother in Ahmedabad immediately after riots while she was visiting riot victims in Gujarat. The meeting was held in Circuit house . Mr. Ahmed Patel and one another gentleman was present during that time. I too was present .

Thanks and Warm Regards”

Sreekumar has responded with “My statement that Sonia Gandhi did not repeat did not visit your mother at her residence is truthful and correct. Instead Congress leaders summoned your mother, an old widow, under severe shock, agony and despair to the place of stay of Congress President. This act is highly deplorable, sinful and violating all social conventions and canons of ethics and morality. Even in Army and Police, when a constable is killed on duty, the senior most officers of the Force, Director General etc visit the house of the deceased and express condolence there and never the widow is brought to the place of camp/office of the seniors. Let us not forget that while many people ran away from Gulbarg society, Ehsan Jafri Saheb, bravely stayed back for the protection of women and children. His martyrdom was not properly recognized by State and Central Govts and the Congress party.

So my observation that Congress President never visited the widow of the former MP, killed in a gruesome manner is totally correct.

Thanks

Regards

R.B.Sreekumar.”

Significantly, this writer had reported the same after the violence in 2002 when Sonia Gandhi first visited Gujarat after the violence had crippled the state. A senior leader, then in the Congress party, accompanying her said that she was asked by some of the party leaders there to visit Mrs Jafri to offer condolences. Ehsan Jafri, a senior Congress leader of the state and well respected, had been killed along with others in the violence in what became known as the Gulbarg society massacre. His repeated telephone calls failed to solicit help and he died trying to protect the other residents who had taken refuge in his house as well.

The Congress President stood up with alacrity this reporter was told, but sat down ago when a senior leader whispered in her ear, and reminded her about the adverse political impact this visit could have. According to the source, she was asked not to visit Mrs Jafri lest it work against her and the party, and further alienate the majority community that was by then under attack for the violence. Sonia Gandhi, unable then to take a decision for herself, listened to this advice and subsequently Mrs Jafri was brought to the circuit house to visit her in what was seen by many in the Congress itself as an insensitive and highly questionable decision.

Incidentally a full report of this incident carried in the Asian Age at the time was not contradicted, in fact further confirmed by others present at the spot at the time. It might be recalled that at least 69 persons were killed in the Gulbarg Massacre society massacre in Chamanpura, Ahmedabad on 28 February 2002. Ehsan Jafri was a former member of Parliament, and he along with most others were hacked and burnt to death by a mob. It was a gruesome tragedy that left Jafri’s wife and family completely devastated, and sent shock waves across the country as this gave a face to the brutal violence that led to then Chief Minister Modi being blacklisted by several countries, including the US and UK.