Gujarat Election 2022: Taught ‘them’ a lesson in 2002, secured peace: Shah

Ahmedabad: As Dec 1, the date for the first phase of polling in Gujarat, draws nearer, the BJP has pulled out the Hindutva ‘Brahmastra’ from its armoury with Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserting on Friday that his party “taught them a lesson” in 2002 and ensured “permanent peace” in the state.

Addressing election rallies in central Gujarat’s Kheda district and Muslim-dominated Vaghra constituency in Bharuch district, Mr Shah, a former Home Minister of Gujarat, asserted, without using the word Muslims, that anti-social elements used to frequently indulge in violence in the state with the support of the Congress.

He said the BJP “taught them a lesson” in 2002. He also said there used to be several “dadas [strongmen] like Izzu Shaikh, [Abdul] Latif, Peerzada” in Gujarat but “now there is only Hanuman dada across the state.”

“Communal riots were the order of the day during Congress rule,” Mr Shah said. “Congress used to incite people of different communities and castes to fight against each other and used these riots to strengthen its vote bank and mete out injustice to large sections of society.”

Mr Shah also heaped the blame for the 2002 riots on the Congress, alleging that this happened because the perpetrators were habituated to disturbing the communal atmosphere with the party’s prolonged support. They were then shown their place, he added.

“After they were taught a lesson in 2002, these elements shunned the path of violence. Right from 2002 to 2022, the BJP has established permanent peace in Gujarat by firmly dealing with elements trying to resort to communal violence.”

The Home Minister’s assertion drew strong reactions from the Congress and the Trinamool Congress while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the AIMIM, which are also contesting the Gujarat polls, have chosen to keep mum.

Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed said fanning communal flames and polarising people for electoral gain had been the BJP's modus operandi for decades. “Home Minister Amit Shah terms the BJP Govt's reaction to the 2002 riots as 'teaching a lesson'. Fanning communal flames and then polarising states for electoral gains has been the BJP's modus operandi for decades now. This is Modi-Shah's real Gujarat model,” she tweeted.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra cited William Shakespeare to criticize the Home Minister, tweeting, “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten his not-so-little hand”.