Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, December 2 watched ‘The Sabarmati Report’, the film based on the 2002 Godhra train burning, in the Parliament Library building with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, other ministers and cast and crew.
After watching the film, PM Modi said, “Joined fellow NDA MPs at a screening of The Sabarmati Report. I commend the makers of the film for their effort.” Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “The Sabarmati Report introduced the countrymen to the truth of Godhra. Through this film, people are getting to know how an ecosystem kept such a big truth hidden from the country for years. Today I watched this film with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA MPs. Congratulations to the entire team for this commendable effort.”
Vikrant Massey, a Hindi actor who announced his retirement just hours before the screening, said that watching the film with the Prime Minister was the highest point of his career. “"I watched the film with the Prime Minister and all cabinet ministers and many MPs. It was a special experience. I will still not be able to express it in words because I am so happy... This is the highest point of my career, that I got to watch my film with the Prime Minister."
PM Modi along with his Cabinet colleagues and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs arrived at the Balayogi Auditorium at 4 PM for the special screening of the film. The screening was organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which was followed by a dinner, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Last week, the Prime Minister lauded the film for ‘revealing the truth’ behind the Godhra train tragedy that left 59 people, including women and children dead.
"It is good that this truth is coming out, and that too in a way common people can see it. A fake narrative can persist only for a limited period of time. Eventually, the facts will always come out,” PM Modi said while praising the film starring Vikrant Massey, Raashii Khanna and Ridhi Dogra.
The film has been declared tax-free in several BJP-ruled states including Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Many BJP Chief Ministers including Yogi Adityanath, and Nayab Singh Saini have already watched the film and praised the filmmakers for bringing the ‘stark truth of the Godhra incident’ and ‘exposing’ the narrative builders for political motives.
In February 2002, a coach of the Sabarmati Express — carrying Hindu devotees from the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya — was set on fire near Godhra in Gujarat. As many as 59 people died, and the incident sparked one of the most violent riots in India. A majority of those who were killed in the aftermath of the train burning were Muslims. Thousands were killed and hundreds were injured or missing, with widespread incidents of rape and sexual assault. PM Modi, who was chief minister of Gujarat at the time, was then accused of having a hand in the violence.
(With inputs from IANS)