 "Veerappa Moily blames Modi for 2002 Gujarat 'Genocide'")
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, M Veerappa Moily said that prime ministerial candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Narendra Modi, had deliberately shielded the 2002 'genocide' in Gujarat, ruling out his chances of becoming country's next PM.
Slamming him for Gujarat riots, Moily said Modi believes in disintegrating the country, and has actually disrupted the society in Gujarat, where he had been the state chief for three consecutive terms.
In an interview to Reuters, Moily said Modi could become a cause for country's disintegration, if appointed as the Prime Minister.
Calling Modi a 'blotted figure', Moily said people would not support him because they might not take the risk of venturing into his politics of disintegration.
"Modi is a blotted figure and ultimately when it comes down to realities, you know, I don't think, you know, he will be a figure, will be counted for the country, forget about becoming the Prime Minister, he cannot contribute any value to the BJP," Moily told Reuters.
Referring to Modi's shortcomings, Moily also said he was responsible for taking no action against the 'genocide' in Gujarat.
"Genocide has gone in. More than 2,000 people died and killed on the streets when Modi was the Chief Minister and they always wanted to, even Modi wanted to shield those people. He didn't, you know, prosecute them," he said.
In the speech on Thursday, Modi had said to the people of Uttar Pradesh, "You give me 60 months and I will give you a life of peace. I have come here to make this promise."
He also said that the Congress continues to mock the poor and could not tolerate a onetime seller of tea becoming the nation's prime minister.
He had further said that it was the poor who had to suffer and die due to the ignorance of the government and that he Congress considered Scheduled Castes important only while elections.