Hang me if I am guilty but apologise if I am innocent: Modi

Exonerated by most courts so far of any involvement in the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi has told a Urdu newspaper that he should be hanged if found guilty and given an apology by the media if found to be innocent in all cases. In an interview to Nai Duniya, the Gujarat Chief Minister’s replies came in response to a question by the daily’s editor, SP Member of Parliament Shahid Siddiqui, who asked him why he couldn’t apologise for the riots. “If I am found to be a culprit, I should be hanged…also, if I am proved innocent, the media should apologise for tarnishing my image,” Modi reportedly said according to Siddiqui. [caption id=“attachment_391735” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Modi has sought an apology if he is found innocent. Reuters[/caption] Siddiqui has ruled out the possibility that the interview was a means for the Samajwadi Party to get closer to Modi or the BJP. Siddiqui also said he had done the interview only on the condition that there he could ask the Gujarat Chief Minister any question he wanted. In a subsequent interview the Samajwadi MP said he was not satisfied with the BJP leader’s interview and felt the Gujarat Chief Minister was only trying to clear his name in the matter. Modi has been accused of being complicit in the communal riots, but has not been found guilty in any of the cases related to the riots.