Congress revives Haren Pandya murder case as Sunita Williams returns to Earth
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New Delhi: The Congress has brought back the Haren Pandya murder case into political discourse as NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Pandya’s cousin, returns to Earth. The party has questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sincerity in celebrating Williams' achievements, contrasting it with his alleged past indifference towards her due to her family ties with Pandya, a former Gujarat BJP minister assassinated in 2003.
The Congress Kerala unit posted on social media: "Modi pens a letter to Sunita Williams, and in all likelihood, she will put it in the trash. Why? She is Haren Pandya's cousin… He challenged Modi and was murdered during a 'morning walk'." The statement has reignited discussions about the case and its political implications.
Haren Pandya’s political rift with Modi
Pandya, a former Gujarat home minister, was a prominent BJP leader known for his RSS background. Tensions between him and Modi escalated in 2001 when he refused to vacate his Ellisbridge Assembly seat for Modi’s electoral entry into the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
The rift deepened in 2002 when Pandya allegedly testified before an independent panel, led by Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, about Modi’s role in the Gujarat riots. Some reports claimed Pandya accused Modi of instructing officials to allow retaliatory violence after the Godhra train burning. Following this, Pandya was removed from his ministerial post, denied an election ticket, and later found dead on 26 March 2003 during his morning walk in Ahmedabad.
Controversial investigation and legal battles
The CBI initially linked Pandya’s murder to Islamic militants, claiming it was an act of revenge for the 2002 riots. In 2007, a Gujarat trial court convicted 12 individuals, but the Gujarat High Court overturned the convictions in 2011, calling the investigation “botched, misdirected, and perverse.” The Supreme Court reinstated the convictions in 2019, rejecting demands for a fresh probe. Pandya’s father, Vitthal Pandya, had repeatedly accused Modi of shielding the real culprits.
Sunita Williams and Modi’s selective recognition
Congress has also highlighted the BJP government’s past indifference towards Sunita Williams. Reports from The Telegraph in 2007 noted that despite her achievements and Gujarati heritage, Modi’s administration ignored her accomplishments. Williams had previously campaigned for Pandya in 1998 and joined his victory procession.
In contrast, Modi has now praised Williams in a personal letter, calling her one of India’s illustrious daughters. Congress alleges that this shift is politically motivated. While the BJP has dismissed these claims, the Haren Pandya case continues to be a point of contention in Modi’s political legacy.
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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
