'During Sonia's rule...': PM Modi targets opposition over Godhra incident
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav of trying to protect those involved in the 2002 Godhra train incident "during the rule of Sonia madam." At a rally in Bihar, PM Modi criticized the opposition for their 'appeasement politics' during the Sonia Gandhi-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule. "It is because of this appeasement politics that the father of Bihar's shehzada (Tejashwi Yadav)...tried to save those who were responsible for the..incident," he said.
PM Modi criticizes opposition's stance on reservation policies
Yadav, who was the then Railways minister, got a report made that exonerated those guilty of the horrendous crime, PM Modi added. He also accused the opposition of trying to deprive Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and tribals of their reservations due to their "disillusionment" with the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc. PM Modi further accused the opposition of attempting to divert reservations to Muslims, going against the views of Babasaheb Ambedkar and former PM Jawaharlal Nehru.
PM Modi criticizes Tejashwi for introducing the 'Hindu Muslim narrative'
He also criticized Tejashwi for introducing the 'Hindu Muslim narrative' during discussions about the 'Agnipath scheme.' He rhetorically asked if when they talk about the martyrdom of Captain Hameed, do they think of him as a Muslim? Without naming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi or Tejashwi, he stated, "There is a shehzada in Delhi and in Patna, both of whom regard the country as their fiefdom (jaagir)." "Their mindset was exposed when they raised questions about the surgical strikes," said Modi.
What is the Godhra train incident
On the morning of February 27, 2002, a coach of the Sabarmati Express was set ablaze, killing 59 karsevaks returning from Ayodhya. The train has just arrived at Godhra Station in Gujarat. Within hours of the train-burning tragedy, violent riots broke out across the state. The riots began on the evening of February 2 and lasted for two-three months. According to official figures, the Gujarat riots resulted in 1,044 deaths and 223 missing.
