Mr Modi was interrogated for his alleged role in the Gulberg Society massacre at the SIT office here on Saturday, becoming the first sitting chief minister of any Indian state ever to be interrogated in a criminal case concerning mass murder.

This is the first time Mr Modi is being probed for his alleged role in the 2002 carnage in which nearly 2,000 Muslims were massacred in Gujarat, allegedly under state patronage.

After the first round of questioning, a beaming Mr Modi said he was questioned by people appointed by the Supreme Court who had nothing to do with Gujarat and that this should silence his critics. Earlier, a demand has been made for the reconstitution of the SIT since questions about the credibility of three IPS officers of Gujarat, who are part of the SC-appointed SIT team, have been raised. The matter is in the Supreme Court and due for a hearing soon. One of the SIT members, Shivanand Jha, is himself an accused in a Gujarat riot case and activists are demanding that the SIT be reconstituted.

After his interrogation, Mr Modi refused to divulge details, simply saying, "SIT questioned me extensively" and "as a responsible law-abiding citizen and chief minister I have answered their questions".

Mr Modi added, "My conduct and behaviour will hopefully stop the misinformation that vested interests are spreading about me and Gujarat."

Mr Modi was asked 62 questions in the first round, such as whether he gave a bandh call after the Godhra incident; whether he was aware of the frantic phone calls made by Ehsan Jafri to the police commissioner, the CM’s office and others; why were the bodies of Godhra victims paraded; did he (Modi) criticise the communal riots as the CM when they erupted; was there any deliberate delay in calling in forces to quell the riots; and why he changed the plan and, instead of letting Haren Pandya (the then minister handling the home portfolio) go to Godhra, why did he himself go; and other similar questions related to the Godhra and Gulberg massacres. The second round saw over a dozen related questions.

The first round of questioning, which began at 12 noon, ended at 5.15 pm and even after 315 minutes remained inconclusive. A relaxed and confident Mr Modi smiled and joked with journalists, saying he asked SIT official to take a break and that he would return again after completing a few official tasks. Mr Modi said he believed in the supremacy of the law and had answered all questions put to him. "I want this to end and hence have asked them to conduct my complete interrogation today itself," he said. He returned to the SIT office at 9 pm sharp for the second round of interrogation.

SIT chief R.K. Raghavan was not present when Mr Modi was interrogated. The SIT’s second-in-command, A.K. Malhotra, and a former CBI DIG questioned the chief minister while a typist-cum-stenographer took notes.

"As a citizen and as the chief minister, I am bound by the Constitution and law. Nobody is above the law," he said. Mr Modi said the probe panel had asked him to appear before it on Saturday. "I appeared before the SIT. My conduct should be a fitting reply to my critics. I hope the vested interests will stop (criticising me)."

The CM added that the SIT was made up of officers from outside Gujarat: "They are clearly working under the direction of the Supreme Court." "A lot of things will get cleared," Mr Modi said.

Elaborate security arrangements were made at the SIT office for Mr Modi’s deposition. Thousands of BJP workers and commoners were requested earlier by Mr Modi not to throng the venue. BJP workers and citizens wanted to be there to give "moral support" to the chief minister. Clad in a crisp white kurta and pyjama, Mr Modi greeted the waiting media with folded hands after alighting from his car.

The SIT had summoned Mr Modi to depose in connection with a complaint by Zakia Jafri, widow of former Congress MP Eshan Jafri, who was killed in the Gulberg Society riots of 2002 along with 69 others. The complaint also alleged that he had instructed officers not to take action.

Social activist Teesta Setalvad said, "Today is an important day for democracy and the rule of law when a sitting chief minister has been forced to appear before an inquiry team after various attempts to block justice."

Gujarat government spokesman Jai Narayan Vyas dismissed suggestions of a setback to Mr Modi following his appearance before the SIT. Most people opined that Mr Modi’s gesture of appearing for questioning by the SIT had consolidated his image as a "brave and straightforward" politician in Gujarat. "We have always said that he will abide by the rule of law but much hype is being made. There is no setback as far as the BJP government or Modi is concerned. Mr Modi has cooperated, as he had earlier promised," Mr Vyas said.

Mr Modi had denied a few days ago that he had been summoned. He had written an open letter to countrymen saying media reports that he had been summoned were lies to tarnish his image and that of Gujarat. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Congress has requested the Chief Justice of India not to share the dais with Gujarat CM Modi at a function on Sunday.

Deepal Trivedi

Gandhinagar ,March 27: Five days after chief minister Narendra Modi vehemently denied that he was summoned by the SIT, he submitted himself for interrogation and was rigorously questioned for over six hours by the Supreme Court-appointed SIT on his alleged role in the Gujarat riots. Mr Modi was cooperative and showed willingness to spend as much time as the SIT wished for interrogation.