Govt says Gujarat riot cases can be moved out of state

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The central government told the Supreme Court on Monday it would have no objections if investigations into Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002 were moved out of the state, according to court documents.

The move by the centre-left Congress party could embarrass the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its main opponent which controls the state and has been accused by critics of discriminating against Muslims.

Human rights groups and lawyers want an independent probe into the riots and have petitioned the Supreme Court to move both court cases and police investigations out of Gujarat.

Long-standing tensions between Muslims and Hindus spiralled into a month of rioting in 2002 in the western state. Between 1,200 and 2,500 people were killed, most of them Muslims.

The BJP, which believes India is essentially a Hindu country, ruled the state then and has held power ever since.

The Supreme Court condemned the state's government, led by Narendra Modi, as modern-day Neros in their conduct during the riots, referring to the Roman emperor remembered in legend as playing the lyre as Rome burned.

The court may rule on the hundreds more outstanding cases as soon as Tuesday now the government has given the green light.