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Shahid Abbas in New Delhi
The Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani on Tuesday rejected the opposition demand for imposition of President's rule in Gujarat.
Replying to a discussion under rule 193 in the Lok Sabha on Gujarat Advani said, "You abuse the chief minister of the state (Narendra Modi) day in and day out and then you do not even allow him to go to the people. He doesn't need your certificate. He needs the certificate of the people of Gujarat."
Advani said that it was the discretion of the chief minister enjoying the majority of the House to recommend dissolution and it was binding upon the governor to accept it.
In case the CM does not enjoy the majority then it is the discretion of the governor to either entertain his recommendation or give his own ruling.
Responding to the opposition charge that the forensic report on Godhra incident had revealed that it was 'impossible to have thrown any inflammable fluid on the Sabarmati Express coach from outside', Advani contended that 'anyone who has seen the compartment would agree that the coach has been set aflame from outside'.
He, however, said that the forensic report is to be given to the judicial commission probing the entire issue and 'soon the truth would be revealed'.
Referring to charge that the violence in Gujarat was 'pre-planned', Advani said, "I think that by talking like this we were trying to establish an environment of disharmony."
Commenting on the opposition charge of the 'rape of thousands of women' Advani said that it was 'certainly hurting and shameful' even if such a thing had happened to a single women and that is why 'we had announced that an FIR can also be lodged at the relief camps'.
He also rejected the charge of the violence in Gujarat being 'state-sponsored' saying that s large section of the society was 'strongly opposed to any theocratic rule and that was the reason that even after the partition in 1947, the country decided to tread the path of secular democracy'.
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