The Congress today took a jibe at senior BJP leader L K Advani for defending Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi saying it was a case of “self-infatuation”.
“This (the Gujarat riots) is one of the cases being investigated by SIT and that report has been given (to the Supreme Court) in a sealed cover. Modi, BJP or even Advani cannot escape responsibility for whatever has happened in Gujarat,” Congress spokesperson Mohan Prakash said here.
He was reacting to Mr Advani’s blog in which he said that reports that SIT has cleared Mr Modi of wilfully not stopping post Godhra riots was “most heartening”.
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“Killing of innocents in BJP-ruled state took place when Modi was Chief Minister and Advani was Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of the country. If they are no responsible, then who else is. This is a classic case of self-infatuation,” he said.
Mr Prakash said BJP tries to take political advantage if a probe by any investigation agency appears going in its favour, but casts doubts on the functioning of the investigation agencies and constitutional bodies when their findings do not favour it.
In his latest blog posting, Mr Advani today said it was “most heartening” to know that the Supreme Court appointed SIT has not found any substantial evidence against Mr Modi in the post-Godhra riots.
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Putting up a strong defence of the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr Advani said in his 60 years of political life he has not known any of his colleague “so consistently, so viciously maligned by opponents as Narendra Modi”.
“The most heartening news I have read in a long, long time” is a report that Special Investigation Team clears Modi of wilfully allowing post-Godhra riots, Mr Advani said.
According to a media report, the SIT has cleared Mr Modi of the charge that he failed to discharge his constitutional duty to intervene swiftly and stop the communal riots.