Godhra train fire part of Cong 'conspiracy': Gujarat govt book

The February 2002 Sabarmati train fire, which killed 59 kar sevaks and triggered large- scale riots, was part of a "conspiracy" hatched by Congress's elected members from Godhra, according to a reference book on political history of Gujarat published by a state board.

The opposition Congress, however, termed it as the BJP government's attempt to saffronise the University Granth Nirman Board (UGNB), which has published the Gujarati book, and said it would seek a legal opinion against the writers for "twisting" the court verdict in the Godhra train burning case.

The book, titled 'Gujarat Ni Rajkiya Gatha'(Political Saga of Gujarat) and published in December 2018, is edited by Bhavnaben Dave, a former BJP MP and current vice-chairperson of the board.

The Godhra train burning incident of February 27, 2002, had triggered the worst communal riots in the history of Gujarat, in which over 1,000 people, mostly belonging to the minority community, were killed.

"To destabilise a stable government, a conspiracy was hatched on February 27, 2002. A coach of Sabarmati (Express) train carrying kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya was set on fire. Fifty-nine kar sevaks were charred to death. This conspiracy was hatched by elected members of the Congress from Godhra," reads a paragraph in the book.

The board, which has the state education minister as its chairperson, receives funds from the Union HRD Ministry to publish textbooks and reference books in regional language at the university level.

Apart from the reference to the train tragedy at Godhra, a town in Panchmahal district, the book also says past Congress governments in Gujarat and at the Centre "created hurdles" in the Narmada Dam project, the foundation stone of which was laid by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1961.

"Despite the central and state governments being of the same party (Congress), the work (to construct the dam) did not pick up speed. Many hurdles were created in order to stop the project," it read.

President of Congress's state unit, Amit Chavda, said, "The contents of the book clearly show that the BJP government has saffronised the University Granth Nirman Board. While the book paints a rosy picture of BJP governments, Congress dispenstions are deliberately shown in bad light by twisting facts and evidence and by rewriting history."
"The Congress can raise objection if it feels so. If Congress finds its failures (mentioned in the book) and feels sad about it, then it is the party's problem."