The questioning of former BJP minister I K Jadeja,who was summoned by the Nanavati Commission probing the 2002 communal riots,was adjourned on Monday till September 23 after the former sought time to appear before the panel,officials said.

Jadeja,in a letter to the two-member commission of Justice (retd) G T Nanavati and Justice (retd) Akshay Mehta,has sought some other date to appear before it following his prior commitments for today.

“Jadeja has written a letter to us today saying he could not appear before the commission as he had prior engagements,” officials of the commission said.

“After considering his request the commission has decided to call him on September 23,” they said.

Jadeja was urban development minister in Modi government during the 2002 riots. In 2007,however,he lost elections and is presently party’s general secretary.

The Nanavati panel,which is in the final stage of delivering its report on the 2002 riots,had in the last three months questioned suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt and two other bureaucrats.

In the last hearing,the commission had also hinted that it might call Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for questioning.