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Muslims not alone in this
time of crisis: Vajpayee

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Thursday told Muslims of Gujarat that they were not alone in this time of crisis and that the entire country was with them.

"You are not alone at this time of crisis, we all are with you. The entire country is with you," he told riot victims at the Shah Alam relief camp in Ahmedabad, where nearly 8000 Muslims affected by over a month of communal violence have taken shelter.

In an emotional outburst, Vajpayee said: "Apne desh mein refugee ho jana, yeh dil ko cheerane wali baat hai" (becoming refugee in one's own country is heart wrenching).

He said India's standing in the comity of nations for its pluralistic character has been badly affected by the violence in Gujarat. "With what face, I do not know, I will go abroad after what all has happened here," he added.

The prime minister said while what happened in Godhra was condemnable, what followed in other parts of the state must also be deplored. "Yeh pagalpan bandh hona chahiye" (this madness must stop)," he said.

Vajpayee said his government was committed to ensure security for all without any discrimination.

PTI

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