New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS): The Congress says Monday's Supreme Court order asking a trial court to hear a petition on the 2002 Gujarat riots was not a clean chit for Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who "was unable to curb the communal violence" nine years ago.

"It will difficult to wipe off the blot on Narendra Modi. His character is known to the entire country. He was unable to the curb communal violence in Gujarat," Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said.

"The Supreme Court order has in no way given any clean chit to Narendra Modi," the spokesperson said.

Alvi was speaking reporters on the Supreme Court directing a trial court to hear a petition by Zakia Jafri, widow of former MP Ehsan Jafri who was killed in the Gulberg Society carnage during the 2002 riots.

The petition alleged deliberate inaction on part of the Gujarat chief minister, his cabinet colleagues and some high-ranking state officials.

In the 2002 incident, 37 people, including the former Congress MP Jafri, were killed. The rampaging mob targeted members of Muslim community in the Ahmedabad neighbourhood and set it afire.