Ahmedabad: Allegations of Gujarat Government interfering with police during the post-Godhra communal riots and the Government and top policemen not even discussing measures needed to be taken to prevent a backlash against the minority community emerged during the cross-examination of former city police commissioner before the inquiry commission in Ahmedabad today (Aug 18, 2004).

"No steps to assess and prevent a backlash against minority community, that was anticipated following the Godhra train carnage, were discussed in the meeting held on February 27, 2002," former city police commissioner P C Pandey told the two-man Commission of Justice G T Nanavati and Justice K G Shah probing the Godhra train carnage and its aftermath.

Pandey, currently on deputation with the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and the only other top officer apart from the former DGP K Chakravarty to be present in the me6eting also admitted to a question by advocate Mukul Sinha of the Jan Sangarsh Manch, that the neither the Chief Minister nor any top Government official had informed them of the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) supporting the bandh call given by VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) on February 28, 2002.

Sinha asked him if former Health Minister Ashok Bhatt had camped in the city police control room, as was reported by media then.

Pandey denied the Bhatt had visited the control room on February 28 but admitted that the Minister had come on March one and explained that this was due to the presence of former Union Defence Minister George Fernandes and his deputy Harin Pathak who had come to revise the Army deployment.