The Hindu : National : Rajnath's remark creates flutter

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Friday, Aug 12, 2005

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National

Rajnath's remark creates flutter

NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Thursday witnessed a flutter over a remark by BJP leader Rajnath Singh that riots can be checked within a few hours if the Chief Minister of a State is determined, provoking ruling coalition to attack him on what had happened in Gujarat under Narendra Modi.

``I have been Chief Minister of a State. And I can say that if a Chief Minister is determined, riots can be checked within four-to-eight hours,'' Mr. Singh said replying to the debate on the motion moved by him on the Nanavati Commission's report.

The remark saw the ruling party members asking Mr. Singh and other BJP leaders as to what had happened in Gujarat under Mr. Modi, where riots continued for several days.

Ignoring ruling party's uproar over his remark, Mr. Singh said it was not possible that a riot could not be stopped by determined leaders.

The BJP leader also took exception to Congress claiming pride in having a Sikh Prime Minister which prompted Congress member Anand Sharma to say that his remark on Wednesday came following ``mischievous and politically-motivated statements by BJP leaders ''.

``It was in the context of mischievous and politically motivated statements by leaders of the party to which Mr. Singh belongs that I said that India should be proud that we have a Sikh Prime Minister, a Sikh Chief of Army Staff and a Sikh Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission. What's wrong in that." — PTI

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