The Hindu : Godhra will not be a poll issue, says Modi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 19, 2002

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Godhra will not be a poll issue, says Modi

NEW DELHI NOV. 18. Godhra will not be an election issue. But if it is raised by the Opposition, the BJP will give an "apt reply", the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, has said.

However, the party wanted to seek "positive votes" on its performance in the December 12 Assembly polls.

"The BJP will seek votes on its past performance and Godhra will not be an issue," Mr. Modi told reporters after visiting the Gujarat Pavilion at the Trade Fair in Pragati Maidan here.

He parried a query on which seat he would contest from, saying "any out of the 182 Assembly constituencies, except those which are reserved".

About the reports of possible trouble during the Assembly elections, he said "ask those who are talking about these apprehensions. They said there will be trouble during the cricket match. They said there will be trouble during Jagannath Yatra but nothing happened."

Asked about the recent controversy involving the VHP and the Election Commission resulting in the former questioning the authority of the Constitutional body, Mr. Modi said: "I do not want to come between these two".

He said the State had an inherent tendency of resurgence and had come out of the troubled times faced in the last four years including the worst of natural calamities.

For the business community, Mr. Modi said the Government was stressing the development of information technology. — PTI

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