New Delhi, Sept 16: In a morale-boosting order for Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, the Supreme Court today upheld a judgement of Patna High Court, expunging the remarks of the Bhagalpur riots commission describing him as ``the second Jinnah of the country.`` A bench of Justice Brijesh Kumar and Justice Arun Kumar thereby dismissed an appeal by the Bihar government against the impugned judgement.

The high court verdict came on a writ petition by Advani, seeking deletion of the defamatory remarks made by the commission against him.
The Bhagalpur riots commission was appointed by the Bihar government to go into the causes of the 1989 riots and suggest measures to prevent recurrence of such riots in the state.

The commission, in its final report, said articles written by Advani in ``Panchjanya`` were inflammatory in nature and might have provoked the riots.

It also described Advani as ``the second Jinnah of the country.``

Bureau Report