Modi was unsuccessful in dealing with Gujarat riots: JD-U

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was "unsuccessful" in dealing with the 2002 riots in the state, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) said Saturday. "As a head of the state of Gujarat, Narendra Modi was unsuccessful in dealing with the riots which occurred in 2002," JD-U spokesperson K.C. Tyagi said when asked whether the party considers Modi a secular person. On being asked whether the party would give a time frame to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for declaring its prime ministerial candidate, Tyagi said: "BJP is our friend and there is no business and pressure tactics which is adopted with an ally." "We will wait for the BJP to declare its PM candidate and we will comment then," he said. There has been a growing demand for Modi as BJP's prime ministerial candidate. JD-U leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has several times expressed grave reservations over Modi's candidature for prime ministership, given his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots in which over 1,000 people died, mostly Muslims. "We will pass our political resolution tomorrow," Tygai told reporters. While the JD-U national executive met Saturday, the national convention will take place Sunday. The JD-U is the largest constituent of the NDA after the BJP, with 20 members in the Lok Sabha. The party leads the government in Bihar, with the BJP as its junior partner.