High Court ruling commuting death sentence to life is "insult" to Hindus: Togadia

New Delhi, Oct 9: Close on the heels the Gujarat High Court commuted death sentence given to 11 convicts in 2002 Godhra train carnage case to life imprisonment, senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia on Monday said the verdict was "insult" to the sacrifices made by Hindus. "Gujarat ke Godhra ke Hinduon ke Jehadi samuhik hatyare ko phasi kyon nahi (Why there is no capital punishment for the enmasse killings of Hindus by Jehadi elements)," Mr Togadia said in a tweet. He said such a verdict is like "insult to the sacrifices" made by Hindus. "Yeh Hinduon ke samuhik hatya kand ke karan hue balidan ka apman hai (This amounts to insult the enmasse sacrifices of Hindus)". The Gujarat High Court on Monday took cognisance of a set of appeals challenging convictions and acquittals by a special SIT court in the 2002 Godhra train coach burning case and commuted death sentence given by a trial court to 11 convicts in 2002 Godhra train carnage case to life imprisonment. The High Court, however, upheld the death sentence of 20 other convicts in Godhra case. On February 27, 2002, the ill-fated Coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express, in which 59 people, mostly 'kar sevaks' returning from Ayodhya were traveling, was burnt precipitating massive anti-Muslim riots in Ahmedabad and other parts of the state. UNI