In February 2002, when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, violence broke out across the state claiming around a thousand lives. While some consider the violence to have been sporadic communal riots, others allege that the violence was directed against Muslim communities. An official estimate states that 254 Hindus and 790 Muslims were killed, with 223 more missing.The riots followed the Godhra Train Burning incident, where 58 Hindus were burnt alive on a train carriage, which was set on fire by a Muslim mob.A panel set up two and a half years after the incident claimed that the train burning was an accident.
