Friday, May 13 2005 22:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Congress today (May 13, 2005) sought to know from BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) chief L K Advani whether he would still defend Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his administration in the light of critical remarks by former State Governor S S Bhandari about the way the post Godhra violence was handled.

Advani, the then Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister had described the carnage a "black spot", but had recently defended Modi saying there was no move to replace the Chief Minister, Congress spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters in New Delhi.

He said Bhandari's statement, after senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan expressing similar views few days back, was significant as he was the State Governor at that time and his remarks were a "reconfirmation" about what has been said about the carnage in the State.

"Both have spoken after a long interval. Truth cannot be denied, it can only be suppressed," he said and asked if BJP leadership would be initiating any "serious" step.

He said the silence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani would indicate that they support the "deeds" of the Gujarat Chief Minister.

However, Sharma said it was not only the "inaction but also the deliberate default" on the part of the State Government and its administration which were responsible for large-scale killings.