The Congress expressed disappointment with the judgment in the case of Zakia Jafri, the widow of Congress leader and former MP Ahsan Jafri who was killed in the 2002 Gujarat riots. The party stated its continued support for the Jafri family.
The Congress had initially agreed with the findings of the SIT that there was no “larger conspiracy” behind the riots. However, the party did not officially express solidarity with Zakia at that time.
The party’s first official reaction came after Home Minister praised the verdict and accused political parties, journalists, and NGOs of giving publicity to “these allegations”.
The Congress then countered, with party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi stating that the Supreme Court judgment should not be politicized, and that “everybody should bow down to a Supreme Court judgment.”
AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh later released a statement expressing deep disappointment with the Supreme Court judgment in Zakia Jafri’s case and highlighting unanswered questions about the responsibility of the Chief Minister and State Government in cases of large-scale communal riots.
Ramesh reaffirmed the party’s support for Ahsan Jafri’s family and raised questions about the conduct of the then Gujarat CM and the numerous convictions related to the Gujarat riots.
Although the Congress had initially reacted cautiously to the arrest of activist Teesta Setalvad, Ramesh and AICC general secretary Ajay Maken later attended a protest meeting.
