Ahmedabad, February 8 
In a major blow to the Narendra Modi government, the Gujarat High Court today censured it for "inaction and negligence" during the 2002 post-Godhra riots, holding that this had resulted in an "anarchic" situation.

Passing strictures against the state government, the court said, " the Gujarat Government's inadequate response and inaction (to contain the riots) resulted in an anarchic situation which continued unabated for days on".

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala made these observations, while ordering compensation for over 500 religious structures damaged in the state during that period.

"The state cannot shirk from its responsibilities," the court observed while noting that there has also been "negligence" on the part of the government. "Because of this (such inaction and negligence) there was large-scale destruction of religious properties".

The government was responsible for repair and compensation of such places, it further said.

The court said when the government had paid compensation for destruction of houses and commercial establishments, it should also pay compensation for religious structures.

The court also ordered that principal judges of 26 districts of the state will receive the applications for compensation of religious structures in their respective districts and decide on it. — PTI