A day after the Supreme Court upheld the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) clean chit to 64 people, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the 2002 Gujarat riot case, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said Modi endured pain for the last so many years without speaking a word and followed Lord Shiva, who swallowed poison and held it in his throat.

Shah said that allegations against the PM were “politically motivated” and that the truth had come out, “shining more than the gold”.

He said “a trio of Opposition parties, certain ideologically-driven journalists, and an NGO was behind false allegations” against the Prime Minister aimed to “tarnish his image” and keep the case going as long as it is possible.”

“They had a strong ecosystem so everyone started believing lies to be truth,” he said.

Speaking at length in an interview with ANI, Shah said the Supreme Court verdict described the charges as “politically motivated” and “cleared a blot on BJP”.

He said the court said the then Chief Minister “did best efforts to control riots” in 2002.

Asked how does it feel, Home Minister said “Satya jab itni lambi ladayi ke baad bahar ata hai, uski chamak sone se bhi zyada hoti hain, bahut achha lagta hain...”, he said.

He named civil rights activist and journalist Teesta Setalvad as a person fuelling charges against Modi. Shah said the NGO being run by her had given baseless information about the riots to the police.

“I have read the judgment very carefully. The judgment clearly mentions the name of Teesta Setalvad. The NGO that was being run by her — I don’t remember the name of the NGO — had given baseless information about the riots to the police,” he was quoted as saying in the interview.

Shah said the Prime Minister set a shining example by not uttering a single word as the legal proceedings went on for 19 years.

He endured pain for the last so many years without speaking a word and followed Lord Shiva who swallowed poison and held it in his throat, Shah said.

Modi, he said, submitted himself to the SIT Investigation in dignified ways, and “I too was arrested”.

He also took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi when he appeared for questioning by the ED in the National Herald case.

“Modi ji didn’t do drama while appearing before SIT - come out in my support, call MLAs-MPs & stage dharna...If SIT wants to question CM, he himself is ready to cooperate. Why to protest?” he said.

Modi provided the best example for all political figures on how to follow the Constitution, he said.

Shah said a campaign was launched against Modi and “articles published abroad against him”.

On the Gujrat riots and delay in calling the army, the Home Minister said the Gujarat riots were self-inspired after the Godhra train burning.

He said the army was called immediately “but it takes an army to reach’. He sought to know why the army which is readily available in Delhi was not called by the Congress Government for three full days during the 1984 Sikh riots.

To another question, the Home Minister said the Prime Minister did everything to control the 2002 riots. “But barely 150 policemen in each thana… it takes time to control the scale of violence”.

“Former IPS officer KPS Gill said- I have not seen more neutral and prompt action than this”, said Shah.

Shah said SC’s judgment has put an end to a long campaign to tarnish the image of the Prime Minister.

Shah said, “This is not the first time that Modiji got the clean chit..Nanavati Commission too gave a clean chit to him”.

Asked what he thought of his arrest, the Home Minister said, “ I believe in destiny…whatever  happened,  happened for good.”

On the question that the BJP thrives on the “Gujarat  model” of polarisation and riots and what is being  called the “Gujarat laboratory” experiment, (that BJP could win without Muslims), Shah said,  “ The kind of glasses you wear you see that only ...Gujarat  model is - zero dropouts in primary schools, 24-hour electricity, 10 per cent growth in agriculture and much more... compare riots in our State Governments with Congress States in the last five years and you would know..”

On Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea by Congress leader Ehsan Jafri’s wife Zakia Jafri, stating that the plea was devoid of merit.

Ehsan Jafri was killed during the violence at the Gulbarg Society in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002.