Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that as chief minister of Gujarat in 2002, Narendra Modi had taught a lesson to “anti-social elements”.

“They tried to create a problem for [Prime Minister] Narendra Bhai [Modi], but he taught them such a lesson that they have not dared to do anything till 2022,” Shah said, while addressing an election rally in Mahudha town of Kheda district. “The BJP government has established peace in Gujarat.”

Large-scale communal violence had erupted in Gujarat in February and March 2002 after the burning of a train coach carrying Hindu devotees in Godhra. Official figures say the riots resulted in the deaths of 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus.

In a video of the Mahudha rally, Shah makes the comment in Gujarati about the 2002 violence after the 16 minute 25 second-mark.

At the rally, Shah also alleged that the Congress incited voters of different religions and castes to clash among each other to bolster its electoral prospects

“During the Congress rule in Gujarat [before 1995], communal riots were rampant,” Shah claimed, according to PTI. “Through such riots, Congress had strengthened its vote bank and did injustice to a large section of the society.”

Assembly polls in Gujarat will be held in two phases on December 1 and December 5 while the results will be declared on December 8 along with the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

This story was originally published on Scroll.in and has been reproduced here with permission.