<p>BJP MLA C T Ravi on Monday justified his controversial tweet on the Saharanpur riots, which was perceived as a ‘hatemonger’ statement in social media circles.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Speaking to reporters, Ravi said that his statement on Twitter had more to do with the stringent action taken by the Gujarat government in the aftermath of the 2002 riots rather than encouraging a pogrom against minorities, as is being alleged.<br /><br />“The Gujarat government took immediate steps like issuing shoot-at-sight orders against rioters and arresting 20,000 people in the aftermath of the 2002 pogrom. This is what I referred to in my tweet, when I said that the Gujarat model must be followed across the nation,” said Ravi.<br /><br />Ravi, in his tweet on Sunday, had said: “Only the Gujarat model that worked from 2002 in containing their rioting elements can work. Apply across Bharath.”<br /><br />On Monday, he said that the UP government must take the same tough stance of the then Gujarat administration to control the riots. “Since 2002, for the last 13 years, there has been no riot or communal clash reported in Gujarat. Why is it that in UP, there is recurrence of riots?” he asked.<br /><br />Ravi accused the media of not addressing the other side of the story when during the same Gujarat riots, 200 Hindus were shot by the police and 17,000 of the 20,000 arrested were Hindus. “Even those riots occurred due to the massacre of karsevaks in Godhra,” said Ravi.<br /><br />Ravi, after his tweet about the ‘Gujarat model’, retweeted other views on the Saharanpur riots. These include: “Fact that Momins from Moradabad and Muzaffarnagar were assembled in Sahranpur speaks of a conspiracy #Saharanpur riots” and “@rsyashasvi: Only eating is a sin during the holy month, rioting isn’t!”<br /></p>
<p>BJP MLA C T Ravi on Monday justified his controversial tweet on the Saharanpur riots, which was perceived as a ‘hatemonger’ statement in social media circles.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Speaking to reporters, Ravi said that his statement on Twitter had more to do with the stringent action taken by the Gujarat government in the aftermath of the 2002 riots rather than encouraging a pogrom against minorities, as is being alleged.<br /><br />“The Gujarat government took immediate steps like issuing shoot-at-sight orders against rioters and arresting 20,000 people in the aftermath of the 2002 pogrom. This is what I referred to in my tweet, when I said that the Gujarat model must be followed across the nation,” said Ravi.<br /><br />Ravi, in his tweet on Sunday, had said: “Only the Gujarat model that worked from 2002 in containing their rioting elements can work. Apply across Bharath.”<br /><br />On Monday, he said that the UP government must take the same tough stance of the then Gujarat administration to control the riots. “Since 2002, for the last 13 years, there has been no riot or communal clash reported in Gujarat. Why is it that in UP, there is recurrence of riots?” he asked.<br /><br />Ravi accused the media of not addressing the other side of the story when during the same Gujarat riots, 200 Hindus were shot by the police and 17,000 of the 20,000 arrested were Hindus. “Even those riots occurred due to the massacre of karsevaks in Godhra,” said Ravi.<br /><br />Ravi, after his tweet about the ‘Gujarat model’, retweeted other views on the Saharanpur riots. These include: “Fact that Momins from Moradabad and Muzaffarnagar were assembled in Sahranpur speaks of a conspiracy #Saharanpur riots” and “@rsyashasvi: Only eating is a sin during the holy month, rioting isn’t!”<br /></p>
