Modi can never be forgiven for Godhra riots: Dar-ul-Uloom chief

Deoband (Uttar Pradesh), Jan.23 (ANI): Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi, the newly-elected chief of the Dar-ul-Uloom in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, has said that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi can never be forgiven for the Godhra riots of 2002.

"I don't think that there is any Muslim or Indian who would call the massacres during Modi's reign eight years ago as a mere or small incident. People were persecuted, cut, women were persecuted, and they did not leave any stone unturned in torturing victims. Hence I can't say such a thing as a responsible person that we should forget it. What I want to say is that Muslims are involved in education and progress," Maulana Vastanvi said.

He blamed the Urdu media of painting a broken picture of his comments given to a national daily a few days ago that he has pardoned Modi.

He said: "My statement has been presented in a manipulated manner. I can never say this; my consciousness would also not allow forgiving the culprit. There is no question of forgiveness by either me or Allah or the public. Nobody is going to forgive Modi and for this we have to continue fighting for justice and by the grace of Allah we will get both judgment as well as justice."

Attacks by Hindu mobs began after suspected Muslim attackers torched the Sabarmati Express, carrying Hindu pilgrims on February 27, 2002, killing 59 people near the Godhra Railway Station.

The Hindu-Muslim clashes in the western state of Gujarat killed more than 2,500 people, mostly Muslims, displaced some 200,000 and orphaned about 400 children. (ANI)