DEHRA DUN: There is no connection between the increase in terrorist activity, in general, and the July Mumbai train blasts, in particular, with the 2002 Gujarat riots, according to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra Modi.

Any attempt to link the incidents would be an effort to justify the terrorist attacks.

Graver attacks, such as the Coimbatore blasts, had taken place in the country before Gujarat 2002, he told reporters here on Friday at the venue of the party's national executive committee meeting.

"Sequel to Godhra"

The Gujarat Chief Minister did not respond when it was pointed out that he and his party had virtually justified the Gujarat riots as a sequel to the Godhra train carnage. "Should we blame the 2002 riots or go back to Partition," he asked.

Mr. Modi indirectly suggested that he might not be averse to returning to national politics. He said a party worker was declaring at public meetings that by the end of 2007, when elections are due in the State, Mr. Modi would have "completed" the task of electrifying all villages, providing roads and attracting huge investments, making Gujarat the most developed State.

"Only one task left"

Mr. Modi said the worker was also saying that the "only task" left for the Chief Minister would be "ordering" the clouds to rain at water-starved places and making the sun shine where no rain was needed.

Asked if he would be interested in shifting to New Delhi, he said he had worked at the party headquarters before becoming Chief Minister.

He denied that his relations with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or outfits such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had ever been damaged or that dissidence was a problem in the Gujarat BJP.

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