Guj riots survivors mock Modi's fast, calls it a 'natak'

Ahmedabad, Sep 17: The 2002 Gujarat riots survivors seems to ridicule CM Narendra Modi's 3 day Sadbhavna fast that has begun from today, Sep 17. The anger amongst the survivors continues as it was years ago, fresh after the carnage. The fast -- about a decade after the riots -- was not the kind of closure they were looking for.

The CM, claimed that he has been sharing the sufferings of the riot victims since years. Also, he defended his government's role in the riots.

One of the survivors, Prof Bandukwala has been disdainful of Modi's fast. He said, "Suddenly he has realised it that for prime ministership he wants to make friend from Muslims and coming out with Sadbhavna fast. I think this is an insult of Muslims, particularly to those who have suffered in riots".

"I would like to invite Narendra Modi to give me one name in Gujarat or in country who can take oath on the name of Allah that Modi was innocent in 2002. It is a political gimmick, natak... and you have to condemn it. If he had spent this energy to bring justice to the riot victims... but he has not done it all," he said.

"It is a mockery, pure insult of Muslims and riot victims and we are feeling very bad. With this, being a chief minister he can gather many Muslims with long beard and cap to the fast spot, but not a single Muslim will identify him as Narendra Modi," Bandukwala added.

The family of Maulvi Hussain Umarji, a local cleric from Godhra who was jailed after being branded as the key conspirator in the Sabarmati Express train carnage, was finally exonerated in February 2011.

For this family also, there was no sense of closure and Modi's fast seemed to be mocking rather than a conciliatory step to heal the riot victims' injured psyche. Son of Maulvi Umarji, Sayeed Umarji, said: "After 10 years, people who took out a gaurav yatra, go on a fast. It's a joke on victims."

OneIndia News