Politicians often make loaded remarks to convey what they have in mind without spelling it out explicitly. However, when a countrys prime minister takes to such an exercise, it means he wants to say something specific but does not like to face the storm it might evoke. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said in Kolkata that Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has given more jobs to Muslims than the Left government in West Bengal. He may be factually correct. But does this lessen Modis crime of planning and executing the killing of Muslims in 2002? Roughly 3,000 Muslims were killed and many more thousands looted and ousted from their homes and lands. This uncalled for praise of Modi is ominous in many ways. The Supreme Court has appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to reopen the cases of fake encounters and other crimes. The Gujarat government and, more so, Modi is in the dock. Do the Prime Ministers remarks reflect in any way the central governments thinking on the judgment? The verdict is yet to be delivered. Modi has already started preparing the ground for criticising the judgement. Some 14 policemen, who are being prosecuted, have said that they have no faith in the SIT inquiry. Another disclosure has tumbled out of the states cupboard. This time the state Inspector General of Police Sanjeev Bhatt has spilled the beans. He has said in an affidavit that Modi wanted the police to let Hindus 'ventilate their feelings and 'teach a lesson to the Muslims. The police officer was referring to a top-level meeting on February 27 after the Godhara incident when a train compartment was set on fire in which some Hindu devotees were burnt to death. I have had no doubt about Modis involvement from day one. When I visited Ahmedabad two days after the killings and talked to men and women in refugee camps, I could reconstruct a story of a premeditated murder of Muslims in Gujarat state and their forcible eviction from homes and hearths. Active participant At that time, I was a member of Parliament and wielded some authority. The present chief secretary was also the chief secretary when the killings took place. I admonished him for not taking action against the mob with swords and even guns. He explained to me that it was the failure of law and order machinery. Little did I know at that time that the law and order machinery was part of a pogrom that was carried out. Subsequent disclosures made it clear that the government was an active participant. Looking back, it is apparent that Indias secular polity did little even after knowing Modis culpability. Seven years ago the Supreme Court took notice of fake encounters for the first time. It appointed SIT under its own supervision. SIT has submitted the report to the Supreme Court this week with the finding on whether Modi had actually ordered police officers to take no action against rioters. One person who could have taken action against Modi was Bharatiya Janata Partys Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, during whose tenure the massacre took place. I believe that he wanted to dismiss Modi. But the RSS, the BJPs mentor and leaders like L.K. Advani did not allow the prime minister to act. However, lack of action does not change the fact of Modis involvement. A police official has said that Bhatt was not present at the meeting where Modi had given the instructions. But Bhatts driver has told the media that he drove his boss to Modis bungalow for the meeting. Strange, the entire campaign of government is directed at denying Bhatts presence at the meeting. More important is his affidavit which leaves no doubt about Modis guilt. Strictures The question which the government of India has to answer is whether it would take any action at all. If it were a matter of moral responsibility, the chief minister should have quit long ago. Instead, Modi has built a campaign to show how Gujarat has achieved 12 per cent growth rate and how his tight administration was an example for the rest of the country. In fact, top industrialists have been taken in by this propaganda when they met in Ahmedabad two years ago to declare Modi as the best person to be the countrys prime minister. Ultimately, New Delhi would have to decide how to punish Modi. I do not think that the Manmohan Singh government or, for that matter, the Sonia Gandhi-headed Congress has the gumption to do anything even if the Supreme Court passes strictures against Modi, without directly blaming the chief minister. What the nation has to worry about is that one Modi has distorted Indias ethos of pluralism. That he has brainwashed most Gujaratis is a dangerous development. He won the state election even after ordering the massacre. The very ideology of secularism is endangered if Modi gets away with what he did. Political considerations came in the way of what should have been done nine years ago. His government should have been dismissed. Should the centre be dependent on political exigencies? Kuldip Nayar is a former Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and a former Rajya Sabha member. Gulf News