NAMO! NAMO! Narendra Modi addressing the rally at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh on January 23, 2014. (PTI)GORAKHPUR: Finally accepting the challenge thrown by SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav at Varanasi on Thursday, BJPs prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a massive rally here hit out at Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) saying that one needs a 56-inch chest to convert UP into Gujarat.I am very happy that both father-son duo chase me wherever I go in UP, Modi said hinting at Samajwadi Partys and his rallies coinciding on the same day in Uttar Pradesh. On Thursday, while Modi was addressing the rally at Gorakhpur, Mulayam addressed a rally at Varansi.Earlier, Modis Agra rally also clashed with SP chiefs Bareilly rally.Today Netaji has challenged me at a rally at Varanasi, Modi said and added quoting SP chief that he would not allow Modi to make UP into Gujarat. Netaji, do you know the meaning of converting UP into Gujarat? It means 24-hour electricity, no power cut for 365 days in every village and street. You cant do it. Youdont have the guts to make UP as Gujarat. It requires 56-inch chest, Modi said, amidst rapturous applauseand sloganeering by a largely pro-active crowd at Maanbela area in Gorakhpur.Mulayam, like at Varanasi rally on Thursday, had been attacking Modi saying that the BJPs prime ministerial candidate wants to turn UP into Gujarat, apparently hinting at Post-Godhra riots of 2002.The Samajwadi Party cannot providesafety for the people people. Even women are unsafe, there is lack of development. Netaji ki haisiyat nahin hai ki woh UP ko Gujarat bana dein, the Guajarat chief minister said.Becoming Gujarat means 10% agriculture growth for 10 years continuously unlike tumbling at 3-4%agriculture growth, Modi further mocked.As has been visible in the past Modi rallies, even from the land represented by BJP MP Yogi Adityanath, the known torch-bearer ofHindutva in eastern UP, the BJPs PM hopeful, barring making an indirect reference to the communal clashes inUttar Pradesh, stayed away from raking up issues close to the Sangh Pariwars core ideology.Holding up his Gujarat model of development while hitting out at Yadav family, Modi said that Netaji was right in saying that UP will not beallowed to be Gujarat, which has seenpeace and prosperity for the past one decade. This is, however, not the case with UP, Modi said, probably hinting at several communal clashes that have taken place in the state in the past two years of the SP government.However, Yogi Adityanath, who endedup taking all the credit for the huge crowd turnout, did raise the issue of Muslim appeasement being adopted by SP government and terrorist infiltration through porous India-Nepal border.Interestingly, Yogi also tried to present a new form of Hindutva when he said that the ground is surroundedby around a dozen-odd Muslim dominated villages. Not only this, to make the rally a huge success, the Muslims have actively participated, he said. Yogi infact became the first leader other than Rajnath Singh to address the crowd in the presence of Modi unlike in the previous five rallies.Earlier, Modi, while making an appeal before the people for BJPs win in the Lok Sabha election, also made a scathing attack at Congress and said that the people have already decided in favour of Congress mukt Bharat.The huge turnout at each of the ralliesin UP is a testimony to the fact, Modi said and added that every BJP rally in UP is breaking the record of crowd turnout set in the previous rally.People of the country have given 60 years to rulers. Now, they should give60 months to a servant. I promise the people that if the BJP is given 60 months, we will bring prosperity in the life of the people, Modi said. People must shun votebank politics of Congress.Modi also hit out at Congress forchai-wala barbs, claiming that the Congress-led UPA was making mockery of the poor while using themonly as vote bank. I have been wondering for long as to why poverty has not been eradicated despite the poor favouring the Congress for past 60 years, Modi said and added, NowI have got the answer. The Congresss political future lies in keeping them poor.Modi said it was because of the partys anti-poor mentality that none of Congress leader is able to digest a tea-seller, son of a poor mother raising his head before them.The state of UP is important for all Political parties in the run-up to Lok Sabha election as it sends maximum number of for 80 MPs to Lok Sabha. For BJP, it is all the more important asthe party had stuck at 10 MPs for the past one decade despite sending 57 MPs in 1998.National BJP chief Rajnath Singh alsoattacked SP government for communal violence in the state and urged the people not to look at the BJPs candidate but focus on making Modi as PM.Interestingly, this is the second time, Rajnath has made this statement afer making similar requests at Varanasi rally. Political observers feel that national BJP chief is making pre-ticket distribution efforts to check any resentment that might brew after candidates are declared.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 02:25:56 +0000
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