Union Govt revokes age relaxations for kin of 2002 Gujarat riot victims

The Union Home Ministry has withdrawn the age relaxations that were earlier granted to the children and relatives of those who died in the 2002 Gujarat riots, with the decision conveyed through an official order addressed to the Gujarat chief secretary.

The order, dated 28 March and issued by a deputy secretary to the Union government, nullifies the provision introduced in 2007 that allowed age concessions for recruitment to paramilitary forces, India Reserve Battalions, state police, public sector undertakings, and various departments under both state and Union governments.

While the order clarified the withdrawal of the relaxation benefits with immediate effect, it did not provide any reasons for the reversal of the policy that had accompanied other compensatory measures, such as additional ex gratia payments and welfare schemes extended to the victims' families.

The 2002 riots, which erupted following the Godhra train burning, resulted in the deaths of hundreds, with a significant majority of the victims belonging to the Muslim community. Human rights organisations had, over the year,s raised concerns about delayed investigations, alleged harassment of those pursuing justice, and the purported complicity of state officials in the violence.

The role of then-Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi had come under scrutiny during the aftermath, with allegations of his involvement or inaction during the riots. However, Modi has consistently denied the accusations, and a 2022 Supreme Court judgment upheld the findings of a special investigation team that concluded there was no prosecutable evidence against him.