Don’t blame party for Kodnani’s act: BJP

Zeenews Bureau

Ahmedabad: Senior Gujarat BJP leader Yatin Oza on Wednesday chose to distance the party from the conviction of its sitting MLA Mayaben Kodnani in the Naroda Patiya riots case. Speaking to a new channel, Oza opined that it is not correct to blame the BJP for the acts of one of its leader. The BJP has all along denied any involvement in the post-Godhra riots that rocked Gujarat in 2002 and termed it as a spontaneous act by mobs upset over the train burning incident. “It is unfair to Gujarat BJP that it is questioned for the conviction of one leader,” Oza said while pointing out that the leaders of many other political parties have been convicted for various offences. Further defending the party, Oza said, “Cannot a sitting MLA be part of a spontaneous incident?” Oza also rejected suggestions that the verdict will have a bearing on party’s prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. “We are going to contest elections of the good governance of Mr Modi and the progress Gujarat has done in the last 10 years and not on issues like this conviction,” he said. A special court today convicted 32 people for the massacre of 97 people in Naroda Patiya locality during the 2002 riots. Besides Kodnani and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi was amongst those held guilty. The court also acquitted 29 people in the case. On Feb 28, 2002, a total of 97 people were killed in the industrial locality of Naroda.