India condemns 11 to death for attack on mosque that sparked rioting

An Indian court yesterday sentenced 11 people to death for setting fire to a train in the western state of Gujarat in 2002, an act that led to some of the worst religious riots in the country since independence.

The train was carrying Hindu devotees returning from the site of the Ayodha mosque in northern India that was demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992. More than 2,500 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the subsequent riots.

Critics say the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which rules Gujarat, did little to stop the violence and many believe the riots led to the defeat of the BJP in federal elections in 2004 to the Congress party.

The special court last week found 31 people guilty of conspiracy and murder. The death sentences given yesterday must be confirmed by a higher court.

Following the riots, America refused to issue a visa to Narendra Modi, the state's chief minister. The Indian Supreme Court condemned his government as "modern-day Neros" who allowed killings with impunity.

Many human rights groups say the riots have been used by Islamists to recruit Indian Muslims to militant groups.