Gandhinagar: Noisy scenes were witnessed in Gujarat Vidhan Sabha today (June 1, 2004) after the leader of Opposition Amarsinh Chaudhary made a direct attack on Chief Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Godhra train carnage and statewide communal violence in its aftermath.

During a discussion on budgetary demands in the Home Department, Chaudhary alleged that several political parties across the country are holding Modi responsible for the post-Godhra communal riots and for inciting communal hatred.

The leader of Opposition alleged that on February 28, 2002 and after, Modi and other top BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leaders "allowed the people to express their anger" over the Godhra incident.

Irked over this, BJP MLAs raised their voices over the allegation and urged Speaker Mangaldas Patel to expunge certain objectionable words from the record of the House.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ashok Bhatt raised the point of order and said the leader of Opposition had violated certain rules of the Assembly by directly accusing the Chief Minister and he (Chief Minister) should have been given time to reply.

Chaudhary, however, continued his tirade against Modi and said the Chief Minister's high-handedness and stringent security measures have prevented the common people and even his own MLAs from meeting him and also "provoked a revolt against him".

The ruling BJP also took strong objection when the leader of Opposition alleged that police are protecting a VIP gang that was run by an ex-minister in Porbander town in Saurashtra.

After several BJP leaders took objection to Chaudhary's allegations, the Speaker, after he went through the text in detail, agreed to expunge certain objectionable words from the records of the House.

BJP MLAs also insisted that the discussion on the Godhra train carnage should be barred, as the case -- pending hearing in Supreme Court -- is subjudice.

During the noisy scenes, Modi stood up and said that he had great respect for the leader of Opposition and was ready to take on all of his allegation but added that his colleagues (in the Ministry and the Assembly) would counter it by the law.

In the meanwhile, chief whip of the Opposition party Arjun Modvadia, during discussion on the budgetary demands in Home Department, has sought a Supreme Court judge to investigate the Godhra train carnage and the communal riot thereafter.

The Congress is not keen on implementing Article 356 in Gujarat but "the call for implementing it has also come from some of NDA's (National Democratic Alliance) allies," he said.