Defending his "controversial" tweet advocating "Gujarat model" to stem the Saharanpur riots, BJP MLA and party National Executive Member C T Ravi today said his intention was not to inflame communal passions but to help Uttar Pradesh Government control communal violence.

"Since 2002, not a single (communal) incident took place in Gujarat as the government there has taken serious action (to control it). That was my intention behind the tweet," he said.

Ravi had tweeted yesterday, "Only the Gujarat model, that worked from 2002 in containing their rioting elements, can work. Apply across Bharat." Also the state BJP General Secretary, Ravi clarified that the then Gujarat Government (headed by Narendra Modi) had taken some preventive measures to control the communal violence by arresting more than 20,000 people.

Representational picture.