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How Gujarat’s Chief Minister Narendra Modi justified the killing of innocents

 “Terming the (Godhra) attack as ‘pre-planned, violent act of terrorism’, Mr Modi said that State Government was viewing this attack seriously”.
-- The Times of India 28 Feb 2002.
 

“With the entire population of Gujarat very angry at what happened in Godhra much worse was expected”.

-- Narendra Modi at a Press Conference in Gujarat, Feb 28.

 

“Modi said he was ‘absolutely satisfied’ with the way in which the police and State Government handled the backlash from Godhra incident and ‘happy’ that violence was largely contained… ‘We should be happy that curfew has been imposed only at 26 places while there is anger and people are burning with revenge. Thanks to security arrangements we brought things under control”.

When asked that not a policeman was visible in most areas where shops were looted and set on fire, he said he hadn’t received any complaint.

-- The Indian Express March 1 2002.

 

“Investigations have revealed that the firing by the Congressman played a pivotal role in inciting the mob.” -- CM Narendra  Modi on Chamanpura incident where former MP Ahsan Jaffri was burned alive with 19 of his relatives. On being asked what could have lead to the Ex-MP opening fire it was ‘probably in his nature’ to do so.

-- The Hindustan Times, March 2 2002.

 

“Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday termed ‘barbaric’ the murder of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri along with 19 of his family members, but said there was firing from inside the house’”.

-- The Indian Express, March 2 2002

 

“With regard to the incident at Narod, Modi said the incident had been sparked off when two drivers – Muslims - intentionally drove their Tata tempos in to two”.

-- The Hindustan Times March 2, 2002

 

“Asked about the violence, Modi quoted Newton's third law – ‘every action has an equal and opposite reaction’ - to virtually justify what is happening.

-- The Times of India, March 3, 2002.

 

“Chief Minister Narendra Modi on March 4: ‘The situation is totally under control. There is no threat to any life. Everything is functioning normally. That is all I can say. I will meet people and give them confidence’’’.

-- The Indian Express March 05 2002.

 

“’It is unfortunate that along with the communal violence that is dangerous for any country, a non-violent secular violence also gets unleashed in the country at the same time by the media.”

-- CM Narendra Modi, at a press conference in Gandhi Nagar on March 5.

 

“Mr Modi said the Godhra incident was not a communal riot. Godhra was a ‘mass murder, a terrorist act aimed at long-term damage’” -- CM Narendra Modi addressing the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gujarat.

-- The Times of India, 7 March 2002.

 

“For the first time in years, we have had an upsurge of popular sentiment that brought together Dalits, tribals and middle-class Hindus on the same platform,” he said.

-- The Telegraph, March 6, 2002, from a Delhi dateline report filed by the daily’s Special Correspondent, quoting a BJP minister in the Central Government, without identifying the person quoted.

 

How Ahmedabad police chief, P.C. Pande, justified the killing of innocents

 

“(Nothing illustrates police role better than police commissioner P.C. Pande’s statement that, ‘Police were not insulated from the general social milieu… (When) there’s a change in the perception of society, the police are part of it and there’s bound to be some contagion effect”’.

-– The Telegraph, March 2, 2002

 

It had to be done, VHP leader says of riots

In a startling revelation, Professor Keshavram Kashiram Shastri, 96-year-old chairman of the Gujarat unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, told rediff.com that the list of shops owned by Muslims in Ahmedabad was prepared on the morning of February 28 itself.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/mar/12train.htm


I do not know what face I will show them (the world) now after the shameful events in Gujarat.

 -- Atal Behari Vajpayee, during his visit to Ahmedabad on April 4, 2002; in The Hindustan Times.

 

My one message to the chief minister is that he should follow raj dharma. A ruler should not make any discrimination between his subjects on the basis of caste, creed and religion.

-- Atal Behari Vajpayee, during his visit to Ahmedabad on April 4, 2002; in The Hindustan Times.

“Let Muslims understand that their real safety lies in the goodwill of the majority”.
-- RSS resolution at its Bangalore meet, March 18, 2002.

 “After the post-Godhra spontaneous Hindu upsurge the party will have to consider the people’s strong feelings on Hindutva and nationalism”.
-- Bharat Pandya, BJP MLA, quoted in India Today, March 18, 2002. The report added that at a closed-door meeting with party president Jana Krishnamurthy in Ahmedabad, MLA after MLA of the BJP talked of reverting to the Hindutva track). 

“Now, it is the end of tolerance. If the Muslims do not learn, it will be very harmful for them.”
-- Harish Bhai Bhatt, VHP leader, quoted in Mid-Day from a New York Times report, March 6, 2002

“He (Narendra Modi) has salvaged the party’s credibility and honour in a way no one has done after we came to power in the Centre.”
-- A Union minister from the BJP, not identified by name, quoted in The Telegraph, March 6, 2002.

 “Modi was the only one who had the guts to defend what happened in his state without batting an eyelid or being red-faced. He did not say one thing one day and another the next day.”
-- ‘BJP sources’, not identified by name, quoted in The Telegraph, March 6, 2002.

“(T)he presence of the army has definitely helped as no major violence has been reported today,” he said even as parts of the walled city were burning after arsonists and mobs went on a rampage during curfew relaxation”.
-- Ashok Narayan, Gujarat’s Additional Home Secretary, in The Indian Express, March 4, 2002.

 “From Godhra to Ahmedabad, in so many places, there are so many incidents of people being burnt alive, including helpless women and children. This is a blot on nation’s forehead and has grievously harmed India’s image in the eyes of the world”.
-- Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India, statement on March 3, 2002. 

“Let Muslims look upon Ram as their hero and the communal problems will all be over”.
-- RSS mouthpiece, Organisor, June 20, 1971. 

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