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Minister arrested over India riots
A minister in India's Gujarat state government has been accused of leading a Hindu mob who attacked Muslims during riots in 2002, in which more than 1,000 people died. Maya Kodnani, the minister of education and child welfare, surrendered herself to authorities for arrest on Friday.Hindu mobs rampaged through Muslim neighbourhoods, towns and villages in Gujarat between February and April 2002 after Muslims were blamed for a fire on train that killed 60 Hindu pilgrims. Kodnani's arrest is a major embarrassment for the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of general elections that begin next month. The BJP is the main opposition to the federal ruling alliance led by the Congress party. A team appointed by the supreme court to investigate several of the most deadly riots said that Kodnani and Jaideep Patel, a leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad party, led mobs that attacked Muslims in at least two areas where at least 106 people were killed. "The charges against Mayaben Kodnani includes abetment to murder, conspiracy to kill people and use of firearms," Mitesh Amin, Kodnani's lawyer, told reporters after her arrest. If convicted she faces between seven years and life in jail. Patel, who also was arrested, is expected to face similar charges. They have both protested their innocence. "We are both innocent, we have been falsely charged in the case and we will prove it," Patel said. Posted by: Fred 2009-03-28 |
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