Former Gujarat home minister
Haren Pandya shot dead
March 26, 2003 22:15 IST
Former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya was shot dead on Wednesday morning, about two km from his residence in Ahmedabad [ Images ]. Pandya (43) was hit by five bullets fired from close range at his chest, neck and lower abdomen.
The assailant, riding a motorcycle, opened fire at Pandya as he sat in his car for the drive back home after finishing his morning walk at the Law Garden locality. The incident occurred around 1030 IST.
Pandya lay in a pool of blood for about 30 minutes as no one came forward to help him, police sources claimed.
He was rushed to the V S hospital where doctors discovered he had received multiple bullet injuries.
After he was declared dead, Pandya's body was sent for post mortem, the Resident Medical Officer said.
He is survived by his wife and two sons.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi [ Images ] and senior BJP leaders, including former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ashok Bhatt, MLA Maya Kodnani and Minister of State for Home Amit Shah, were among those who rushed to the hospital as news of the incident spread. The government later ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the incident.
Pandya's distraught supporters raised anti-Modi slogans at the hospital and accused him of not providing adequate security to the departed leader.
Mediapersons also faced their wrath and some photojournalists were roughed up.
Shopkeepers in the area downed their shutters in protest against Pandya's killing and demanded the arrest of the assailant.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee [ Images ] expressed shock over the killing. He spoke to Modi immediately after getting the news. Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani [ Images ] and BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu are expected to reach Ahmedabad in the evening, official sources said.
Hearing the news of Pandya's death, his parents and other family members rushed to the hospital. His aged father fainted on hearing the news and had to be hospitalised.
Pandya's parents also voiced their anger against Modi and his 'poor handling' of the law and order situation in the state.
Police Commissioner K R Kaushik said that a red alert had been sounded throughout Gujarat and all measures were being taken to maintain peace. He said a manhunt had been launched for the assailants.
He said a .32 caliber revolver had been used to commit the murder.
Born on August 27, 1961, Pandya was first elected to the Gujarat assembly in 1993. He was minister of state for border security (independent charge) prior to his elevation as home minister in 1998.
An engineering graduate, Pandya was a well-known student leader and is a former corporator of Ahmedabad.
Considered one of the party's bright prospects in Gujarat, Pandya represented the Ellis Bridge assembly constituency for three consecutive terms and was a minister in the Keshubhai Patel cabinet.
He was dropped after Narendra Modi became chief minister following bitter factionalism in the BJP's Gujarat unit. The outspoken politician was denied a BJP ticket for last December's assembly election.
Among other things, Pandya had attracted Modi's ire after appearing before a tribunal probing the post-Godhra communal riots in Gujarat last year.
Pandya defended himself when asked by the state leadership to explain his actions.
The Keshubhai Patel loyalist had a running feud with Modi and had become the symbol of the cold war between Patel and Modi.
Even after quitting the Modi cabinet, Pandya had taken on the chief minister on a number of occasions.
Police said there appeared to be some similarity with the attempt on the life of state VHP leader Jaideep Patel after the Gujarat assembly elections.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani briefed the Cabinet Committee on Security about the assassination, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha [ Images ] said, after an hour-long meeting of the CCS, chaired by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
With inputs from the Press Trust of India [ Images ]-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PANDYA COUNTERS HIS CHIEF’S QUERY
GANDHINAGAR, AUGUST 4
Gujarat Revenue Minister Haren Pandya has responded to the state BJP chief’s demand to know if he deposed before an inquiry panel of retired judges on the Godhra carnage.
Pandya had reportedly told the panel that on February 27 night CM Narendra Modi instructed officials to let justice be done for the Godhra attack.
In the letter, he tells state BJP chief Rajendrasinh Rana: ‘‘I request the person (Modi), who has sought my explanation through you, to clarify if Haren Pandya was present at the said meeting? And if not, on what basis could we seek his explanation. If that person gives more details, I will give more clarification.’’
Pandya is clearly referring to Modi in the letter. He says: ‘‘I have read the magazine very carefully and there is no reference whatsoever in it to the effect that, ‘Haren Pandya
had deposed before the (Concerned Citizens’) tribunal. (So) I don’t understand your reason to seek my clarification about reports which have not even named me.’’
He takes a potshot at Modi too. ‘‘Somebody insisting on my explanation on the basis of baseless information is harmful for the party. And this is why I send this clarification through the media.’’
Gujarat Revenue Minister Haren Pandya has responded to the state BJP chief’s demand to know if he deposed before an inquiry panel of retired judges on the Godhra carnage.
Pandya had reportedly told the panel that on February 27 night CM Narendra Modi instructed officials to let justice be done for the Godhra attack.
In the letter, he tells state BJP chief Rajendrasinh Rana: ‘‘I request the person (Modi), who has sought my explanation through you, to clarify if Haren Pandya was present at the said meeting? And if not, on what basis could we seek his explanation. If that person gives more details, I will give more clarification.’’
Pandya is clearly referring to Modi in the letter. He says: ‘‘I have read the magazine very carefully and there is no reference whatsoever in it to the effect that, ‘Haren Pandya
had deposed before the (Concerned Citizens’) tribunal. (So) I don’t understand your reason to seek my clarification about reports which have not even named me.’’
He takes a potshot at Modi too. ‘‘Somebody insisting on my explanation on the basis of baseless information is harmful for the party. And this is why I send this clarification through the media.’’
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Keshubhai man Haren Pandya quits Modi govt
AHMEDABAD: Minister of state for revenue Haren Pandya, a confidant of former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, today resigned from the Narendra Modi government.
Haren Pandya has been in the news since Mr Modi took over from his mentor Keshubhai Patel. He was recently served a show-cause notice for his reported deposition before a citizen's tribunal on the riots.
Last Sunday, he wrote an open letter to state BJP president Rajendrasinh Rana, taking strong exception to him being asked to explain his conduct. He had alleged Mr Rana had sought his explanation under pressure from Mr Modi.
Mr Rana had sought clarification whether he had told the citizen's tribunal that Modi had instructed the state police officials on February 27 not to interfere with any post-Godhra violence.
It was also rumoured that Mr Modi may ask Mr Pandya to vacate his Ellis Bridge constituency in his favour. Mr Modi is said to be reluctant to contest the assembly polls from Rajkot II. The Ellis Bridge constituency is considered the safest bet for any BJP legislator in the state and with recent communal riots, it would be even more easier for a BJP man to win assembly elections from this constituency.
A high-profile minister, Mr Pandya came into limelight during the attacks on Christians at Dangs during the tenure of Keshubhai. His tenure as home minister was marked by burning of the Bible and attack on Centre for Environment and Planning allegedly by Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists.
Mr Pandya had also resigned from the Keshubhai Patel ministry following a fracas with minister of state for fisheries Purushottam Solanki. Solanki had during a cable operators' war, alleged Mr Pandya was carrying out vendetta against his brother, Bharat Solanki.
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Haren Pandya not in BJP's second list too
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday released the second list of 11 party candidates for the Gujarat Assembly polls. The list does not include the name of Narendra Modi detractor and former state home minister Haren Pandya or his constituency Ellisbridge.
Pandya is also a prominent loyalist of former chief minister Keshubhai Patel. Patel is unlikely to contest the Assembly elections, party sources said.
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7. Witnesses deposing before us testified to the fact that the chief minister called a meeting of senior police and other officers on that very night of February 27, 2002. At this meeting specific instructions were given by him in the presence of state home minister on how the police should deal with the situation on the bandh day. We were informed that instructions were given in this meeting by the chief minister specifically not to take action against any Hindu reaction to Godhra.Earlier in the evening, his two cabinet colleagues, Ashok Bhatt and Pratap Singh Chauhan, had met at Lunavada in Panchmahal District and in this meeting, the manner and methods of unleashing violence on the Muslims were planned in detail.
It appears from what happened in Ahmedabad and its environs on February 28 and all over the state on March 1, 2 and 3 and thereafter, was with the deliberate connivance and support of the Government. (CCT Vol 2, page 249)
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Pandya suspect, not witness
Express news service : Ahmedabad, Fri May 11 2012, 03:43 hrs
The SIT has dismissed late minister Haren Pandya's May 13, 2002, testimony before the Concerned Citizens Tribunal, which itself had dismissed his deposition. On the other hand, the SIT has picked out excerpts from the tribunal report implicating Pandya in the riots.
Pandya was murdered in 2003. He reportedly alleged that Narendra Modi had instructed officials not to take action against Hindu rioters. Tribunal members P B Sawant and Hosbet Suresh, retired judges, told the SIT that his deposition had not been recorded.
The SIT concluded in the preliminary report of 2010: "In view of the version of all senior officials of the home and police departments, the testimony of late Haren Pandya before the tribunal becomes unreliable."
The SIT probed IPS officer R B Sreekumar's entry about a supposed secret inquiry on the minister. This is backed up by the testimony of then DSP (intelligence) S M Pathak. The SIT final report says, "Pathak has also confirmed having conducted secret inquiries, which revealed that Pandya had deposed before them and that this fact was reported to R B Sreekumar orally."
On Pandya's alleged complicity in the riots, one excerpt taken by the SIT final report from the tribunal's report says, "Three eyewitnesses, who deposed before the tribunal, saw Pandya setting fire to Apna Bazaar Medical. 'Let us burn these Muslims', he was shouting, after he had burnt it down himself... Just outside Ellisbridge police station, Pandya was overheard telling the PI, even as Hotel Ellis was aflame, 'This community does nothing'." Another excerpt is "Eyewitnesses testified to seeing Pandya leading mobs who committed arson."
The SIT probed the call records of Pandya's number (9825039852) which showed he was in Ahmedabad till 10.46am on February 27, 2002. The SIT final report says, "His location at Ahmedabad city again comes at 4:24:24pm and thereafter he remained in the city till 10:52:07pm, and this would conclusively establish that Pandya did not attend the meeting that took place at the CM's residence at about 11pm."
First of all I want to say superb blog! I had a quick question that I'd like to ask if you don't mind.
ReplyDeleteI was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your head before writing.
I have had a tough time clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out.
I do take pleasure in writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are
usually lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any recommendations or tips?
Cheers!
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As you can see, most of my blogs are cut paste jobs and are basically some sort of ordering of news. There are very few "personal" blogs. I see writing as an extension of thinking.
ReplyDeleteNow the question is, what is one going to write? Compare this with giving a lecture. Do I plan my lectures? Actually no. I need about 5-10 minutes to arrange the flow of ideas and then deliver the lecture. If I plan my lecture, it turns out very wooden. But obviously I cannot lecture on a topic where I do not have the knowledge.
One thing that fascinates me is the relationship between fringe and mainstream, how they are organically connected. You are lucky that you you can start after 10-15 minutes. On this topic, I have half begun several blogs over past few months.
Someday, I will just start and finish it in a single sitting. that is how I write. It is very erratic.