Post-Godhra charges against Narendra Modi not based on facts: Arun Jaitley

BJP leader Arun Jaitley today dismissed allegations against Narendra Modi on his role in the 2002 post-Godhra riots saying it was all "propaganda" and not based on facts.

"Mr Narendra Modi has broad shoulders to face this propaganda. He went over the heads of the critics and directly spoke to the people and I think he did speak well. That is why people started relating to him," Jaitley said in reply to a question on the Gujarat Chief Minister's role in the post-Godhra riots.

He said Modi has since moved on but some people have an interest in remaining in that time-frame and they continue to raise the issue.

"Today we are in 2013 and he (Modi) has moved far beyond. But, some people have an interest in staying back in that time frame," he said, attacking those who raised the issue against Modi at a time when he has been anointed as BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

Modi has been termed as "divisive" by the Congress as well as the JD-U which moved out of the NDA alliance after 18 years in the wake of his anointment as head of the party's election campaign committee.

The Congress has been critical of Modi's governance in Gujarat that led to the post-Godhra riots in 2002.