Pakistan’s foreign office on Sunday expressed ‘grave concern’ over the statement by a former BJP politician that confirmed that Narendra Modi was responsible for the 2002 riots in Gujarat.

“The recent statement by the former Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shankersinh Vaghela, has confirmed Pakistan’s long standing assertion that the BJP led government under the incumbent Prime Minister — who was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at the time of anti-Muslim riots in Godhra — was directly responsible for fomenting violence and massacre of Muslims,” the foreign office said in a statement.

The foreign office said that it was ‘deplorable’ that communal hatred had been stoked to such a degree that thousands of lives were lost.

Early in November, former BJP politician Shankarsinh Vaghela had said that the violence against muslims in 2002 was premeditated by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

“The foundation of this government rests on the 2002 carnage,” Vaghela said.

Vaghela served as BJP’s president in Gujarat in the 1980s. He eventually left the party and became CM with Congress support in 1996. He has announced a re-entry into electoral politics as the state moves towards elections.

Communal violence erupted in Gujarat after a train carrying Hindu pilgrims was burnt in February 2002. The three days of violence that followed claimed over 2,000 lives, according to unofficial estimates, mostly muslims.

Indian home minister Amit Shah also discussed the riots recently, but the blame of the instigation on Congress. He added that those responsible had been ‘taught a lesson’.

The foreign office statement made reference to Amit Shah’s statement as well, calling it a ‘corroboration’ of Vaghela’s statement. It also said that India is ‘blindly pursuing’ the BJP’s Hindutva politics. It called upon the Indian government to conduct an indpendent investigation into the incident.

“Pakistan urges upon India to immediately constitute an independent commission of Inquiry to bring the culprits of the horrific Godhra incident, as well as the Gujarat riots, to justice,” the statement said. It also called upon the international community to take notice of rising Islamophobia in India and to make sure that India’s muslim minority is not exposed to more dangers.