Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the 2002 Gujarat Riots took place just 3-4 days after he became an MLA of the Gujarat Assembly, and the Godhra attack and the subsequent riots must be seen against the backdrop of major Islamic terror attacks in the months before that. He also denied that the Godhra riots were the biggest riots in Gujarat, saying that similar riots took place many times in the past, but no such incident have taken place after that.
PM Modi made the comments in a podcast with Lex Fridman released today evening. In the podcast, Fridman asked him about what lessons he has drawn from the riots. Fridman noted that Supreme Court of India has ruled twice that Modi had no role in the riots, and wanted to know what were the broad lessons Modi drew from that time.
Responding to the query, PM Modi said that to fully understand the situation at that time, he would like to narrate what happened in the 12 to 15 months leading up to the riots. He said, “for instance, take December 24, 1999, roughly three years earlier. An Indian flight from Kathmandu to Delhi was hijacked, redirected to Afghanistan, and landed in Kandahar. Hundreds of Indian passengers were held hostage. It caused massive turmoil across India, as people faced life-and-death uncertainty.”’
He then reminded that the Red Fort was attacked in 2000, and after that the Twin Towers in the USA were attacked in September 2011. Then, in October 2001, terrorists attacked the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, and soon after the Indian Parliament was attacked in December 2001.
“Within just 8 to 10 months, these major global terrorist attacks took place, violent incidents that led to bloodshed and the loss of innocent lives. In such a tense environment, even the smallest spark can ignite unrest,” PM Modi said.
He also reminded that all these terror attacks were carried out by people driven by similar mindsets, implying that all the terror attacks were by Jihadi terrorists.
Talking about the 2002 Gujarat riots, Modi said that he became CM of Gujarat on 7 October 2001, when the state was recovering from the devastating Bhuj earthquake. “My first major task as Chief Minister was overseeing the rehabilitation of survivors. This was a crucial task, and from day one after my oath, I immersed myself in it,” he said.
PM Modi contextualised the 2002 Gujarat riots within a decade of global terrorism and communal tensions. He recalled taking office amid the state’s recovery from a devastating earthquake. Just days after becoming a state representative, the tragic Godhra incident occurred. He… pic.twitter.com/gbvqVzolBM
— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) March 16, 2025
Modi added that he had absolutely no prior experience with government, he never been part of any administration, never even served in government, and never contested an election before he was made the CM.
“On February 24, 2002, I became an MLA, and stepped into the assembly only on 25th or 26th February. We were in the assembly for the budget session, and that same day, when suddenly, the horrific Godhra incident occurred,” he said, adding that the attack took place just 3 days after he became an MLA.
He then narrated, “It was a tragedy of unimaginable magnitude, people were burned alive. You can imagine, against the backdrop of incidents like the Kandahar hijacking, the attack on Parliament, and then to have so many, people killed and burned alive, you can imagine how tense and volatile the situation was. Of course, this was tragic for everyone, everyone prefers peace.”
PM Modi also refuted the claims that the 2002 Gujarat riots were the biggest riots, calling it misinformation. He said that riots took place frequently in Gujarat before that, sometimes over trivial issues. “If you review the data from before 2002, you’ll see that Gujarat faced frequent riots, curfews were constantly being imposed somewhere. Communal violence could erupt over trivial issues, like kite-flying contests or even minor bicycle collisions.”
He added, “Before 2002, Gujarat witnessed over 250 significant riots. The riots in 1969 lasted nearly six months. So there was a long history long before I was in the picture. But that one tragic incident in 2002 became a sparking point, leading some people towards violence.”
PM Modi further added, “At that time, our political opponents were in power, and naturally, they wanted all allegations against us to stick. Despite their relentless efforts, the judiciary analyzed the situation meticulously, twice, and ultimately, found us completely innocent. Those who were truly responsible have faced justice from the courts. But the most important thing is, in Gujarat, where riots used to happen somewhere or the other every year. But after 2002, in 22 years, there hasn’t been a single major riot in Gujarat. Gujarat remains completely peaceful.”
Lex Fridman Podcast
The Lex Fridman Podcast episode featuring Narendra Modi, released on March 16, 2025, offers a profound three-hour exploration of the Indian Prime Minister’s life, philosophy, and leadership. In the Podcast, Modi discussed his early years, including his time in the Himalayas and his association with the RSS, alongside his views on spirituality, fasting, and national governance, drawing parallels with figures like Donald Trump’s “America First” policy.
The conversation also delved into critical global issues, such as the path to peace in Ukraine, India-Pakistan relations, and India’s stance on China and Xi Jinping, underscoring India’s emerging role as a geopolitical powerhouse. Available in English, Hindi, and other languages, the podcast reflects Modi’s engagement with international audiences, addressing controversial topics like the 2002 Gujarat riots while showcasing his vision for India as the world’s largest democracy.
Lex Fridman, the host, is a Russian-American computer scientist, AI researcher, and podcaster based at MIT, known for his in-depth interviews with global figures in science, technology, and politics. Born in 1983 in Tajikistan and raised in Moscow, Fridman moved to the U.S. as a child and earned degrees from Drexel University before joining MIT’s Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems.
Since launching his podcast in 2018—originally focused on AI but later expanded to broader topics—he has interviewed luminaries like Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, gaining a following of over 4.59 million subscribers. Fridman’s approach, marked by humility and intellectual curiosity, has made his platform a leading space for exploring complex global issues, with this Modi episode marking a significant milestone in his career.
The full podcast can be watched below:
