India's Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani said Monday that anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat that killed 2,000 people in 2002 were the top blot on his Hindu nationalist government's record.
The remarks by Advani, who is wooing Muslim votes ahead of national polls that begin April 20, drew immediate criticism both from hard-liners close to his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and an Islamic leader.
Advani said the riots in Gujarat, which is ruled by the BJP, were "unfortunate" and a "blot" on the security record of his government, which has been in power since 1999.
"But during our government's rule, the country has been by and large saved from riots. Gujarat was an aberration," Advani told a rally in Ghaziabad in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
The riots were set off when a Muslim mob torched a train carrying Hindu hard-liners in the Gujarat town of Godhra, killing 59 people.
"If Godhra had not happened, the subsequent riots would not have taken place," Advani said.
His remarks were criticised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP, World Hindu Forum), a hard-line movement close to the BJP and accused of participating in the Gujarat riots.
"There is a fashion in India to blame Hindus who are victims for everything and not even mention the names of jihadis (Islamic militants) who are the aggressors," VHP leader Pravin Togadia said.
"It is unfortunate that roasting 59 Hindus alive in Godhra is not a blot for Advani. The attack on Akshardham temple and the attacks on pilgrims and parliament are not taken as dark spots," he said, referring to other attacks in India by suspected Islamic militants.
Ahmed Ali Quasmi, who serves on the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, a national policy-making body for the Muslim community, said Advani was insincere in his comments.
"All these tears are nothing but drama," Quasmi said.
"Had they been serious about taking action against those responsible for the riots, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi would have been removed long ago. But he still remains a hero (for the BJP)," he said.
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