Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani today described the Gujarat riots as a ‘‘blot’’ and an ‘‘aberration’’, but made sure to emphasise that barring those ‘‘unfortunate’’ events, the track record of the NDA Government had been remarkable in terms of development and ensuring security in the country. Advani was addressing officers and jawans in Ghaziabad at a function held to mark the CISF’s 35th Raising Day. His remarks, rather out of context, demonstrate a clear attempt by him to distance himself from the Gujarat riots. By doing so, he is looking at an image makeover in the run-up to the polls. He is also apparently trying to counter his adversaries, who have forecast communal trouble during his forthcoming ‘Bharat Uday Yatra’. Having distanced himself from the riots, Advani repeated the Sangh Parivar-line — ‘‘had Godhra not happened, the subsequent riots would not have taken place’’. He said, ‘‘the developments were unfortunate and all necessary steps were taken to rectify the situation.’’ Except this ‘‘blot’’, the six-year rule of the Vajpayee Government had been remarkable.
