RSS gives clean chit to Narendra Modi

new delhi: the rss on wednesday gave a clean chit to its former pracharak and gujarat chief minister narendra modi on the handling of the situation in the state saying "no government could have done more than this" even as it claimed the violence was a "reaction" to the godhra train killings. "no government could have done more than this on the first two days. about 100 people were shot dead by police. moreover, it is not that muslims alone were the victims. they had also reacted in ahmedabad and other places," rss spokesman m g vaidya told reporters here. "the modi government did whatever was possible. however, if there were any shortcomings, it will be brought to light by the ongoing judicial inquiry and let the state government face the consequences," he said. asked about the criticism of the modi government by the nhrc chairman justice j s verma, vaidya said, "his (verma's) statement is not the final word." while asserting that the "reaction in gujarat was not justified", he, however, said, "had there been no godhra, there would have been no (violence in) gujarat." he said that had the violence been "pre-planned" as alleged by opposition, "then reaction would have been there in faizabad and delhi. it was confined to gujarat alone as it (godhra) directly affected the people of the state." "in 1969, there was no bjp. but the government could not stop the violence following the slaughter of a cow in puri," vaidya said.