Godhra commission asks President office to decide on letters

The Godhra inquiry commission has decided to write to the President's office seeking its clarification on its stand on sending the letters written by late President K R Narayanan to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee regarding steps taken to control post Godhra riots in 2002.

The Nanavati-Shah Commission would write to President A P J Abdul Kalam's office to "clear its stand whether it would like to send the letters across to this commission and communicate its decision on the matter by December 9," commission sources said Saturday.

The commission had on October 13, 2005 received a communication from the Union government after the President's office had referred the matter to them and they had claimed "privilege under the evidence Act and also certain sections of the Constitution of India."

However, Narayanan has already acknowledged to the commission that he had written the letters to Vajpayee, but reiterated that he had nothing more to say on this.

The Public Greviances and Pensions Department of Personnel and Training of the Union government had said in the communication that the Centre had thoroughly gone through Narayanan's letters and were of the opinion that "the documents contained communications made in strict official confidence".