Vaghela takes on Modi govt

The Narendra Modi government in Gujarat would have to go if the Supreme Court passed strictures against its functioning in the wake of a series of "slaps on the Modi government," Union Textiles Minister Shankersinh Vaghela said yesterday.

"The Modi government has already received a number of setbacks over riots and violence after the Godhra incident from the apex court, which transferred cases to Maharashtra and any stricture against it will be the last straw," Vaghela said here.

"The Centre was against using Article 356 to dislodge the Modi government," the minister said, but will not keep quiet if the apex court further lashes it," he added.

Stating that the apex court has asked the Modi government to follow "raj dharma", Vaghela, a former Gujarat chief minister, alleged that Modi exploited the sentiments of people by bringing bodies of the Godhra carnage to ahmedabad and added fuel to fire in riots across the state.