Haresh Batt

JUNE 1, 2007

TEHELKA: What was Narendra Modi’s reaction when the Godhra incident happened?

Haresh Bhatt: I can’t tell you this… but I can say it was favourable… because of the understanding we shared at that time…

TEHELKA: Tell me something… Did he…

Bhatt: I can’t give a statement... But what he did, no chief minister has ever done …

TEHELKA: I won’t quote it anywhere…For that matter… I am not even going to quote you

Bhatt: He had given us three days… to do whatever we could. He said he would not give us time after that… He said this openly...After three days, he asked us to stop and everything came to a halt…

TEHELKA: It stopped after three days… Even the army was called in.

Bhatt: All the forces came… We had three days… and did what we had to in those three days...

TEHELKA: Did he say that?

Bhatt: Yes… That is why I am saying he did what no chief minister can do…

TEHELKA: Did he speak to you?

Bhatt: I told you that we were at the meeting.

• • •

Bhatt: He had to run the government... the trouble he is facing now... there are several cases being re-opened... people are rebelling against him...

TEHELKA: People in the BJP are revolting against him...

Bhatt: People in the BJP… whatever he has done has made him a larger-than-life figure and the other politicians cannot bear to see that...