Modi should have resigned by now: Congress

With the Supreme Court issuing yet another direction to Narendra Modi-run Gujarat on Wednesday, Congress said the chief minister should have resigned by now in the wake of several strictures, observations and inquiries against his government on diverse matters. "It is not going to happen given the fact that "obduracy and insensitivity is the norm of the Chief Minister (Modi) ....Who is thick-skinned and greedy for power" Party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.

He said had it been any other state in India, the Chief Minister would have resigned if it had received so many strictures, observations and inquiries. "So many stages have come in Gujarat when any self-respecting chief minister would have resigned...But their political dictionary is different", he said, adding that Modi will "not even offer to resign".

Singhvi's reaction came close on the heels of the apex court asking a panel to look into the killings in alleged fake encounters in BJP-ruled Gujarat between 2002 and 2006. BJP, on the other hand, downplayed the development with party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar, hoping that the apex court will adopt the "same approach" while dealing with similar complaints in other states as well.

Speaking separately, Javadekar said when the Supreme Court receives complaints of fake encounters from states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Haryana, he hoped the apex court will adopt "same approach" in dealing with the cases in Gujarat.

He also said BJP will give a structured response on the order after going through it.