On 27 February 2002 , a train with several hundred passengers burned near Godhra , killing approximately 60 people . The train carried a large number of Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya after a religious ceremony at the site of the demolished Babri Masjid . In making a public statement after the incident , Modi declared it a terrorist attack planned and orchestrated by local Muslims . The next day , the Vishwa Hindu Parishad called for a '' bandh '' across the state . Riots began during the '' bandh '' , and anti-Muslim violence spread through Gujarat . The government 's decision to move the bodies of the train victims from Godhra to Ahmedabad further inflamed the violence . The state government stated later that 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus were killed . Independent sources put the death toll at over 2000 . Approximately 150,000 people were driven to refugee camps . Numerous women and children were among the victims ; the violence included mass rapes and mutilations of women
burned near Godhra
Godhra train burning
Narendra Modi