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Advani rejects demand for his, Modi's resignation

Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani rejected on Monday the Opposition's demand for his and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's resignation and an inquiry by a Supreme Court judge into the carnage in the western state.

Accusing Advani of making an "irresponsible" statement, angry Opposition members walked out of the Rajya Sabha after Advani's 45-minute reply to a two-day short-duration discussion in which he promised to punish all those, including police officers, found guilty by the judicial probe ordered by the state government.

Calling the violence disgraceful, Advani said it was a matter of distress for the Bharatiya Janata Party whose clean record of communal harmony during its four-year rule had been tarnished.

"For us, it is certainly a black mark," he said, adding that it had affected the country's reputation as well.

To the Opposition's demand for setting up an inquiry headed by a Supreme Court judge, he pointed out that the state government had already instituted a judicial inquiry and it was not possible to have a parallel probe.

He was critical of the tendency of opposition parties to be 'selective' in criticising the violence and said this was not right.

He disagreed with criticism that senior police officers remained mute spectators to the violence and listed several incidents where the police had come to the rescue of people.

Advani contradicted claims that more Muslims had been killed in police firing, and said most of those killed in such action in Gujarat were Hindus.

He said this was the first time that nearly 100 people had been killed in police firing in the state and argued that this showed that the state administration and the police had not remained silent spectators.

On the opposition demand for his and Modi's resignation, Advani said it had become a habit for politicians to demand resignations.

Defending Modi, he said the state government had brought the situation under control within 72 hours of the outbreak of violence.

Advani said that twice in the past he had contemplated resigning, including once after the Amarnath yatra killings. But Leader of the House Jaswant Singh and Leader of the Opposition Manmohan Singh had talked him out of it, saying such a step would only help the terrorists.

The Sabarmati in Flames: Complete Coverage

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