For the first time since 2002 Gujarat riot, BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has spoken out on his side of the story. In his blog he said that after 2001earthquake, the riots in 2002 was big blow to Gujarat and he was stunned by the riots.
“After Gujarat earthquake, mindless violence of 2002 had dealt us another unexpected blow. Innocents were killed. Families rendered helpless. Property built through years of toil were destroyed. Still struggling to get back on its feet from the natural devastation, this was a crippling blow to an already shattered and hurting Gujarat. I was shaken to the core. ‘Grief’, ‘Sadness’, ‘Misery’, ‘Pain’, ‘Anguish’, ‘Agony’ – mere words could not capture the absolute emptiness one felt on witnessing such inhumanity,” Modi said.
“On one side was the pain of the victims of the earthquake, and on the other the pain of the victims of the riots. In decisively confronting this great turmoil, I had to single-mindedly focus all the strength given to me by the almighty, on the task of peace, justice and rehabilitation; burying the pain and agony I was personally wracked with,” the Gujarat Chief Minister added.
The blog comes a day after the Gujarat court rejected Zakia Jafri’s plea over clean chit given to Modi in the Gulbarg Society massacre in 2002 Gujarat riots.
It seems relieved Modi is trying to reach out Muslims prior to 2014 Lok Sabha Polls.