A composed Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi spoke to Senior Editor V. Shankar Aiyar and Special Correspondent Uday Mahurkar. Excerpts:

Q. Nearly 600 people have died in the Gujarat riots. Was there a complete breakdown of the official machinery? Are you responsible?
A. It's a false and baseless charge. Let's go by the official records. I was in Godhra on the evening of March 27 and on my return to Ahmedabad, 827 people were arrested as a preventive measure the same night. I immediately issued shoot-at-sight orders in Godhra. The riots began on February 28 at around 11 a.m. and I had requested the army's presence by 4 p.m. On my request, Defence Minister George Fernandes was in Ahmedabad by 2 a.m on March 1.

Q. But all the measures proved ineffective.
A. Only in the minds of those who don't know the state's history of riots. In the early 1980s, some parts of Godhra remained under curfew for a whole year. In 1985, curfew was imposed in Ahmedabad's Kalupur-Dariapur for six months. I have controlled the riots faster than any of my predecessors.

Q. The Muslims allege that the police not only took no action but even collaborated in the killings, arson and looting on February 28 and even later.
A. I don't agree. The police fired 1,000 rounds on the first day. But you must not forget that what happened was a reaction to the brutal killings (in Godhra). The size of the angry mobs on Thursday was something unprecedented. The police must have been overwhelmed at some places because of this but still it did its best. Five persons were killed in police firing at the spot where Ehsaan Jafri was killed and police saved lives of 200 Muslims in the episode.

Q. Why do you think the rioting had such a brutal tinge to it?
A. It wasn't a communal riot but something like a mass agitation. There was already great anger against terrorism and anti-national activity. The Godhra episode symbolised that.

Q. Does the spectre of backlash worry you?
A. My perception is that they will try and do something. So in the coming months Gujarat will have to be very alert.

Q. How do you react to Shabana Azmi's statement calling you a mass killer?
A. There are two types of violence, one communal and another secular. And secular violence being perpetrated by the leftist lobby is equally detrimental for the society. But some continue to perpetrate it. In fact, there's a leftist conspiracy against me.