Saturday, March 29, 2025
Tarlochan Singh’s Big Claim: Narendra Modi Controlled 2002 Riots, Prevented Gujarat from Burning Entirely
Former Rajya Sabha MP and Sikh affairs expert Tarlochan Singh has praised then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his handling of the 2002 riots, claiming that Modi’s decisions prevented the violence from engulfing the entire state.
Decisive Step: Singh stated that after the Sabarmati Express was set on fire, relatives of the deceased wanted to take the bodies back to their villages. However, Modi stopped this and ensured the cremations took place locally. According to Singh, if the bodies had been sent back, public anger would have intensified, and the unrest could have spread across Gujarat.
Role of Government: Singh emphasized that the 2002 Gujarat riots were a result of public anger, not state involvement. He contrasted this with the 1984 Delhi riots, which he described as state-sponsored, while stressing that Gujarat’s riots did not have government backing.
Limited Impact: Singh claimed that because of Modi’s intervention, the violence remained largely restricted to Ahmedabad and surrounding areas, instead of spreading statewide.
Tarlochan Singh, who served as the Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities in 2002, said he personally visited Gujarat immediately after the riots. He later documented his findings in a booklet, where he detailed these claims.
