Tuesday, May 10 2005 07:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi/Ahmedabad: Congress yesterday (May 9, 2005) said senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan's acceptance that post Godhra riots in Gujarat were not only a "shame but a national blot" vindicated its stand and wanted a clarification from former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and saffron party chief L K Advani on the issue.

"Mahajan has now accepted that post Godhra riots were not only shameful but a blot...Former Prime Minister Vajpayee and the then Home Minister Advani too had echoed similar opinion. Now it is time that the two BJP leaders should come clean," party spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters.

He also wanted to know whether the senior BJP leader's acceptance was a soul searching exercise or merely for the consumption of the people.

"It is important, therefore, that Advani, who was the Home Minister and is now leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, should clarify his view point," Sharma said.

He said that if the BJP leaders failed to do so, "then it is another characteristic of their double speak". In the past, they had failed to react in the wake of several severe indictments by the Supreme Court on the Gujarat affairs.

"We hope that there will not be a long silence by Advani and Vajpayee on this point," Sharma said.

Reports coming in from Ahmedabad a day after Mahajan described the post-Godhra riots as party's "second regret" after the Ayodhya issue, senior party leader Suresh Mehta yesterday said he agreed with Mahajan that the "Gujarat riot was a blot on the nation".

Endorsing Mahajan's views, the former Gujarat Chief Minister and a known Modi critic told reporters in Ahmedabad, "I fully agree with what Mahajan said."

Mehta said Mahajan should have made the statement much earlier.

Mehta also held a meeting with another senior leader Kashiram Rana to discuss dissident's future course of action, party sources said.

In an article in the latest issue of party organ 'BJP Today' Mahajan described the post-Godhra incidents as party's "second regret" after the Ayodhya issue and a "black spot" for any civilised society.