Protests were held in several Indian cities over the arrest of a rights activist who attempted to have Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared complicit in deadly sectarian riots 20 years ago. One of India's worst outbreaks of religious violence saw at least 1,000 people hacked, shot and burned to death in Gujarat when Modi was premier of the western state in 2002.
Activist Teesta Setalvad was detained on Saturday, a day after India's top court rejected a lawsuit filed by her and her NGO challenging a ruling that cleared Modi over the bloodshed. Setalvad was a co-petitioner in the appeal to the Supreme Court filed by Zakia Jafri, the widow of a former lawmaker, Ehsan Jafri, who was killed in the riots. "I am not a criminal," Setalvad shouted to waiting journalists after anti-terrorist police detained her for alleged criminal conspiracy, forgery and placing false evidence in court. -- AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
