Narendra Modi denies Atal Bihari Vajpayee ever rapped him over 'Rajdharma'

Gwalior: Narendra Modi today denied that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had admonished him while advising him to abide by "rajdharma" or a ruler's duty, after the Gujarat communal riots of 2002.

"Whatever Vajpayeeji said is available on You Tube. Anyone can listen to it. He did not say anything like that," said the Gujarat Chief Minister at an election rally in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. He claimed that the then PM had, in fact, said that there was a certain "rajdharma", and "you are following it",

Mr Modi was rebutting a comment made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a rally in election-bound Rajasthan earlier in the day.

Dr Singh accused BJP leaders of "distorting facts" and said, without naming anyone, "A BJP chief minister accused us of violating the human rights of a minority community. They should look into their records. Their prime minster at that time had asked their chief minister to perform his rajdharma."

Mr Modi is his party's prime ministerial candidate for national elections due by May and hopes to become only the second BJP prime minister after Mr Vajpayee.

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In April 2002, days after communal riots left hundreds of people, mostly Muslims, dead in Gujarat, PM Vajpayee had said to Chief Minister Modi that he must observe his "Rajdharma'' without any discrimination between people on the basis of caste, creed or religion.

Mr Vajpayee had said this while announcing a rehabilitation package for riot victims. With Mr Modi seated beside him, Mr Vajpayee had added, "I believe he is performing his Rajdharma properly."

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Mr Vajpayee's comment on Rajdharma had sparked intense speculation that he was unhappy with Mr Modi's handling of the Gujarat riots under his watch.