Ahmedabad, Sept 28: Describing post-Godhra communal riots in Gujarat as an `aberration', Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today asked investors not to be swayed by `propaganda' unleashed by forces at home and abroad it to sully the state's image and asserted that economic reforms were irreversible. "I feel as if Gujarat is doing all this (Vibrant Gujarat celebrations) to send out a deliberate message to the rest of the world. I say, it is a deliberate message because it is, among other things, meant to counter the sustained propaganda and by extension, against India, being conducted at home and abroad," Advani said. Urging investors not to be swayed by last year's propaganda against Gujarat, he said the state would learn the right lessons and move ahead. "Do not believe in and do not be swayed by all that you have been reading about Gujarat in the past year or so. Yes, a sad and unfortunate episode took place. But it was an aberration," Advani said. "Gujarat will learn the right lessons from it and will move ahead," he said adding the state will not let the "deliberate, motivated and continuing" attempts to sully its image, tar its reputation and hurt its self-respect to succeed. Following the riots, questions are being raised about the country being secular and this line of questioning is damaging not just the state but the country as well, he said adding "I consider it as an insult to me, to India and to my understanding of India."
"Our government under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister A B Vajpayee has been implementing a carefully crafted agenda of economic reforms whose fruits are already becoming visible", he said.
Advani's statement comes in the wake of the setback the privatisation programme received after the apex court asked the government to halt the sale of HPCL and BPCL for failing to obtain Parliamentary approval.
Bureau report