Expressing no regrets for the post-Godhra carnage but promising to end vote bank politics, Gujarat Chief Minister Mr Narendra Modi today began a 3-day fast in Ahmadabad for peace and communal harmony in the state.

Launching the fast amid recitation of Vedic hymns by Sanskrit scholars on the occasion of his 62nd birthday, Modi said he has decided to fast for three days seeking peace, unity and harmony among all people in the state for a healthy coexistence.

The fast by Modi is seen as part of his efforts to remove the stigma of the 2002 violence and boost up his stocks as a prospective prime-ministerial candidate in the 2014 elections.

Mr. Modi began his fast this morning in the fully air-conditioned Gujarat University Convention Centre flanked by top BJP and allied party leaders. The fast gains significance in the wake of the Supreme Court announcing its refusal to initiate proceedings against Modi for his reported inaction to control violence in the state in 2002 and the US Congressional Committee releasing a report praising the administration of Modi.

The audience who attended the fasting programme included groups of Muslims, Christians and Sikhs, besides Hindus.