Ahmedabad: After consistently maintaining there was no audio tape of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's controversial anti-minority remarks, the state government on September 18 said it was willing to make it public.

"We can make it (the tape) public, we have no intention to hide anything. If anyone asks for the tape we can give it," state government spokesman Purshottam Rupala told reporters giving a new twist on the existence of the audio tape.

The apparent change of tact came close on the heels of a transfer of three top state intelligence officials on September 17 night after the leak of a departmental letter warning of dangerous fallout of Modi's inflammatory speeches and airing of the audio tape by a TV channel on September 15.

In the face of claims by Gujarat authorities that Modi had not made alleged anti- minority remarks during his Gaurav Yatra, tape-recording of his controversial remarks apparently targeting a particular community were aired by the TV channel on September 15.

The Gujarat government had denied the existence of any tapes and the text of Modi's speech during the "gaurav yatra" at Besraji village in Mehsana district on September 9.

The National Commission of Minorities (NCM) had also asked for a copy of the tape following a furore over Modi's remarks.

Additional director general (intelligence) R B Shreekumar, deputy inspector general S Radhakrishnaiah and superintendent of police Sanjiv Bhatt were on September 17 transferred to less significant postings and they were likely to take over their new assignments by September 19, official sources said.

PTI