Kolkata: Rejecting former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's contention that NDA's (National Democratic Alliance) poll debacle was due to the Gujarat riots, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today (July 3, 2004) gave a clean chit to Narenda Modi by justifying the violence in the State following the Godhra carnage saying it "had the blessings of Lord Rama".

"What happened in Gujarat after the Godhra carnage had the blessings of Lord Rama," VHP Working President Ashok Singhal told the open session of the VHP in Kolkata.

He said "there was a plan to kill 2000 kar sevaks when they were returning from Ayodhya. The hapless kar sevaks in one of the compartments of the Sabarmati Express could not get out of the train and at least 49 of them were burnt alive".

Hundreds of VHP supporters several of them carrying tridents thronged the Nazrul Manch in south Kolkata to attend the session.

Singhal said that VHP would carry forward its struggle in the coming days on the vital issues of constructing the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, to fight for "religious and cultural freedom" and for the Uniform Civil Code.

He said VHP would not rest and prepare for 'any sacrifice' till the Ram temple in Ayodhya was built.