Godhra panel says Centre unreasonable

Expressing displeasure at the "unreasonable stand" of the United Progressive alliance government, the Godhra Inquiry Commission Wednesday rejected the objections raised by it on submission of the letter written by former President K R Narayanan on army deployment in Gujarat during communal communal riots in 2002.

In the order passed, the  commission, comprising retired judges Justice G T Nanvati and Justice K G Shah observed that "We see no justifiable reason for non-production of those letters or their relevant portions as the Union government has failed to point out how its production will adversely affect the security of the state or public interest or smooth administrative functioning of the government''.

"Taking note of this unreasonable stand and reluctance of the Union government... it will now be open to the commission to draw its own inferences with respect to the (President's) letters (written to the then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee)'', the panel added.