Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today (Jan 13, 2004) assured that those guilty of post-Godhra communal riots in Gujarat would be punished and said minority community members should be protected.

"People want peace....and fire should be lit only to make food and not set a house ablaze. Those guilty will be punished and I trust the Gujarat Government has taken all steps to ensure peace and prosperity in the State," he said and asked the people to adopt a "forget-and-forgive" attitude.

Inaugurating the Vishwa Gujarati Parivar Mahotsav in Ahmedabad, Vajpayee said, "These (communal) riots should be stopped. We should forget and forgive.

"Minority community people should be protected and all communities should move ahead hand-in-hand," he said.

The Prime Minister said his soul urged him to speak that "enough blood of women and children had been shed and this should not be repeated anywhere."

A new era without any riots or bloodshed must begin in this city and people here have the "potential to perform this miracle", Vajpayee said.

Vajpayee said Gujarat is peaceful now and is attracting investment from abroad and this is the sign of progress and development and other states should follow suit.