Narendra Modi's 'puppy comment' kicks up political storm over 2002 Gujarat riots

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman sought to defend Modi, saying his comments had been “misinterpreted” completely, resulting in a “controversy where it does not exist”.



In the rare interview, the first since he was appointed the chief of BJP election campaign committee in June, Modi was asked if it was frustrating when many people define him by 2002.

He responded by saying that he would feel guilty if he had done something wrong. “Frustration comes when you think ‘I got caught. I was stealing and I got caught.'  That's not my case.”

To a question whether he had done the right thing in 2002, he said, “Absolutely. However much brainpower the Supreme Being has given us, however much experience I've got, and whatever I had available in that situation and this is what the SIT had investigated.”

Asked if he regretted what had happened, Modi said the Supreme Court had created a Special Investigating Team which in its report had given him a “thoroughly clean chit, a thoroughly clean chit”.