Guj BJP criticises all-party MPs visit

Ahmedabad, Nov 30 (UNI) Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today sharply criticised Congress-led UPA government's move to send all-party committee comprising MPs to visit post-Godhra communal riot affected areas in the state.

Gujarat BJP President Rupala today alleged that the UPA government's move was politically motived and was an attempt to draw-away the attention of people from the giant economical and social developmental strides made by the state Chief Minsiter Narendra Modi's government in the last four and half years.

Mr Rupala further alleged that the sending of MPs delegation was to malign the image of the Modi government rather than really showing concern for the riot victims. The move was nothing but a gimmick to win votes of people on the line of religions.

Referring to the recent compensation announced for Gujarat's riot victims by the Centre, he said, UPA government should adopt the same yard stick for the victims of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and other places, including those who were killed or injured in terrorist attack on Akshardham Temple shrine in state capital Gandhinagar in 2003.

The committee comprising about eight MPs visited rehabilitation colonies here and neighbouring Sabarkantha district.

The visit follows the recent decision of the Centre to equate 5,000 post-Godhra riot victims at par with the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and provide a compensation of Rs seven lakh to them.

The Centre's announcement evoked a sharp reaction from Mr Modi, who had dubbed this as ''double standard'' and said if the Centre was really serious then it should give the same benefit to all riot victims after 1984 anti-Sikh riots and all the victims of terror attacks in the country.

UNI MP KU MS RN2213