Modi files appeal, in Rashtrapati Bhavan

In a highly unusual move that raises questions of constitutional propriety, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has sent a letter to President A P J Abdul Kalam complaining about the NHRC’s intervention in the Best Bakery case.

Although his letter (full text) doesn’t mention NHRC by name, it reads: ‘‘It is more disturbing that some national-level institutions are also carried away by propaganda. This needs serious attention because Gujarat being a border state has a strategic importance for the nation’s security.’’

Modi wants the President to ‘‘direct compilation of details’’ of all convictions and acquittals in communal riots since Independence. If this is made public, Modi writes, ‘‘people will be able to judge who’s right.’’