Godhra (Guj): Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi on Friday failed to strike a 'sadhbhavna' chord with
the minority community in Godhra, as evidenced by the minuscule
turnout for his day-long fast.
The community leaders in Polan bazaar, the area from
where most accused of Godhra train burning incident hail, said
they wanted to send a message to Modi government that Muslims
were seeking justice, not just harmony.
"By not attending the function, we have sent a strong
message to the state government that there cannot be any
sadbhavana without every person of the Muslim community
getting justice," said some community members, preferring
anonymity.
The local BJP leaders had expected a crowd of over
50,000, including a big chunk from the minority population, to
attend the event at the State Reserve Police ground.
Before the fast started, social activist Shabnam Hashmi
and five others of NGO Anhad were detained while trying to
organise a convention 'In Search of Justice'.
The tenth anniversary of train carnage, which led to
communal riots in the state in 2002, falls next month.
PTI
First Published: Friday, January 20, 2012, 23:49