Saturday, February 26 2005 18:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Admitting that Gujarat riots marked a "black spot" on the six-year-rule of Vajpayee Government, BJP President L K Advani today (Feb 26, 2005) said, however, they did not have any impact on the last Parliamentary elections.

He said "reality" with regard to the Narendra Modi Government is different than the "image that has been created in the last few years."

"The events (riots) in Gujarat were a black spot for us in the sense that during the six-year-rule of Vajpayee Government the communal situation had been good," the former Deputy Prime Minister said at the 'India Today' Conclave in New Delhi.

He said Modi and BJP would ensure that Gujarat, "which has faced criticism, emerges in different light."

Disagreeing that NDA had lost in the 2004 Parliamentary elections because Modi was not removed, Advani said, "Parliamentary elections had nothing to do with the events of Gujarat."

He, however, added that the riots could have cast an impact in certain constituencies where the "obnoxious" films of Gujarat had been shown by the rivals.

"The image of Gujarat Government created in the last few years is not fair to Modi and his colleagues. There is a wide gulf between image and reality" the BJP chief said.

Hailing the Modi Government, he said it had performed both politically and economically.

"The Government is honest and free of corruption which even the rivals agree," he said adding in economic terms, the State was a prominent destination for foreign investment, with Rs one lakh crore being received during the recent Global Investor Summit held in Ahmedabad.

Referring to the welfare of Muslims in the State, he said it can be gauged from the fact that per capita income of each family of the community is higher than that in other States.