Click to play videoNew Delhi: The court hearing of the SIT report on the Gulbarg society case in the 2002 riots will not just have legal, but political implications as well. It will make clear whether Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi can move out of the state to national politics.
Lion of Gujarat, Chote Sardaar, the Chief Minister of Gujarat goes by many names to his friends. For his rivals, he is a modern day nero, the perfect imperfectionist. It's the contradiction between this description that Modi hopes to solve through the SIT report.
BJP leader Arun Jaitley said, "This has been a long campaign that's been going on against him. Time now for his rivals to give up."
Since 2002, when he first became the Chief Minister, Modi has been the most contentious and yet the most charismatic leader the BJP has seen in a while. But as the taint of Godhra refused to leave him, he tried to reinvent himself as the CEO of Gujarat in his second stint. Rubbing shoulders with the high and mighty of the Indian industry, Modi ensured that first signs of his larger national ambitions got reflected through this class.
An admission from the SIT now of lack of evidence for prosecuting Modi, will go a long way in Modi's attempts to repackage himself into a centrist position, a far cry from the 'Hindu Hriday Samrat' tag that was attached to him. This is one reason why he carries on with his Sadbhavna fasts across the state.
Modi said, "I have suffered in my heart for those who suffered and were victims of the 2002 riots."
"But Modi's biggest problem now, is the enemy within. His refusal to campaign for the party in UP has upset the Sangh. His attempts to take on party's patriarch LK Advani just before the latter undertook his anti-corruption yaatra gave an indication of his restlessness. The restlessness which could increase if the SIT gives him a clean chit.
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