New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the discourse around the 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat was an attempt to create a false narrative, and his political opponents in power at the Centre wanted him to be punished, but the courts cleared his name.
Modi, in a podcast with Lex Fridman, said the perception that the 2002 riots were the biggest riots ever in Gujarat was an attempt to push misinformation.
"If you review the data from before 2002, you will see that Gujarat faced frequent riots. Curfews were constantly being imposed somewhere. Communal violence would erupt over trivial issues such as kite-flying contests or even bicycle collisions," Modi said.
The prime minister said the riots in Gujarat in 1969 lasted for more than six months, and that was an era when he was nowhere on the political horizon.
According to Modi, the Godhra train burning incident occurred just three days after his election as a Gujarat Assembly legislator.
"It was a tragedy of unimaginable magnitude; people were burnt alive. You can imagine, against the backdrop of incidents like the Kandahar hijacking, the attack on parliament, or even 9/11, and then to have so many people killed and burnt alive, you can imagine how tense and volatile the situation was," he said.
"Nothing should happen; we also wish so. Everyone would wish there should be peace," the prime minister said during the podcast released on Sunday.
He said that the Godhra train burning incident was the sparking point that led to violence. Modi also claimed that a false narrative was spread about the Godhra case and that the judiciary ultimately found him and his government innocent of the allegations against them.
"But the courts investigated the matter thoroughly and found us completely innocent. Those who were truly responsible have faced justice from the courts," he said.
The prime minister stated that his political opponents, who were in power at the centre during the 2002 Gujarat riots, were eager to punish him over the allegations.
"At that time, our political opponents were in power, and naturally they wanted all allegations against us to stick. They wanted to see us punished. Despite their relentless efforts, the judiciary analysed the situation meticulously twice and ultimately found us completely innocent," Modi said.
The Prime Minister stated that Gujarat, once plagued by annual violence, has remained riot-free since 2002.
"Over the past 22 years, there hasn't been a single major riot in Gujarat.
"Gujarat remains completely peaceful," Modi said.
The prime minister said his approach has always been to avoid vote bank politics.
"Our mantra has been, sabka saath sabka vikas aur sabka prayas. We have moved away from the politics of appeasement practiced by our predecessors to the politics of aspiration," Modi said during his over three-hour interaction.
He highlighted how some people tried to malign his image after the riots, but ultimately justice prevailed, and the courts cleared his name.
(inputs from PTI)