Date:02/08/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/08/02/stories/2003080204651100.htm

National

Gujarat Ministers meet Jaitley, criticise NHRC action

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI Aug. 1. The Gujarat Home Minister, Amit Shah, and the Law Minister, Ashok Bhatt, today met the Union Law Minister, Arun Jaitley, in the wake of the National Human Rights Commission moving the Supreme Court seeking a fresh trial in the Best Bakery and four other Godhra carnage-related cases. They also met the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj.

They are said to have lodged their protest to the Union Ministers over the NHRC's action in ``rushing'' to the Supreme Court even as the Gujarat Government was contemplating to file an appeal in the High Court against the trial court's order acquitting all the accused in the Best Bakery case.

They also told the Ministers that when the Gujarat Government itself was preparing for an appeal within the statutory period, there was no need for the NHRC to approach the Supreme Court.

The State Government felt that the NHRC's action was a serious ``onslaught'' on the federal polity and ``expression of lack of confidence'' in the State judicial system.