Darbhanga (Bihar): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alleged that RJD leader and former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav attempted to protect those responsible for the tragic incident of over 60 karsevaks being burnt alive in Godhra in 2002, which occurred "during the tenure of Sonia madam."

In February 2002, a fire engulfed the Sabarmati Express near the Godhra railway station, claiming the lives of the passengers who were returning from Ayodhya.

Addressing a poll rally in Bihar's Darbhanga, Modi said, “RJD has stooped so low that it is now comparing Hindu and Muslim recruits in the Indian armed forces. This is the true face of these people. They can go to any length to divide the society and the country. Anybody who takes bullets on his chest to protect India is first an Indian. But RJD sees them as Hindus and Muslims. Do we remember Abdul Hamid ji because he was a Muslim? I want to ask them these people. These people question the truth about surgical strikes and make derogatory statements against the Army chief."

Modi alleged that the RJD chief Lalu Yadav, which is part of the INDIA bloc, tried to save those guilty of burning the karsevaks returning from Ayodhya in Sabarmati Express.

“RJD has been always doing appeasement politics under the garb social justice. The father of Bihar's 'shehzada' (referring to Tejashvi Yadav) was the Railway Minister who tried to save those responsible for burning the karsevaks alive in Godhra.

“He (Lalu Prasad), who has himself been convicted (in fodder scam cases), but is out on bail, set up an inquiry committee to have the accused exonerated and shift the responsibility of the incident on the karsevaks. But the court trashed the report,” Modi said.