Statesman & Tall Leaders Calms Nerves & Avoids Major Tragedy, Modi to Hindus, Muslims: Battle Poverty, not each other. Modi on Sunday made a strong pitch for Hindu-Muslim unity, saying the two communities should be fighting poverty instead of each other. Hindu poor should be fighting the poverty in their community instead of Muslims just as the poor among Muslims should be fighting their poverty rather than Hindus, Modi said, adding that Hindus and Muslims needed to unite for the sake of growth. Although Modi has been making efforts to live down his image as a divisive leader, this marked a significant step up with the BJPs PM candidates remarks lustily cheered by the audience. CM, speaking after Indian Mujahideen terrorists attacked his rally, avoided any reference to explosions and rounded off his speech by exhorting the two communities to maintain peace and harmony at all costs. The appeal for Hindu-Muslim unity, along with attacks on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and a politically audacious overture towards Lalu Prasads loyalist constituency among Yadavs, was the highlight of the nearly hour-long speech marked by trademark aggression and interactive style, rhetorical flourishes and invocations of Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai. Modi took many swipes at Kumar, who split from the BJP over the Gujarat CMs projection as PM candidate. He scrupulously avoided mentioning Kumar by name, referring to him as my friend instead. His speech was anything but friendly with Modi calling Bihar CM an opportunist. He dismissed Kumars opposition to him as an incredible piece of hypocrisy. Recalling how BJP agreed to project Kumar as NDAs CM candidate for Bihar, Modi said the JD(U) leader left the NDA because of sycophants who told him that he could become the PM by joining hands with Congress. He said Kumars flirtations with Congress were a betrayal of the legacy of Ram Manohar Lohia and Jaiprakash Narayan. Gujarat CM also emphasized that the good work for which Kumar was credited for was actually done by BJP ministers in the NDA coalition, and took a dig at the Bihar CM for the states failure to avail its Haj subsidy. Attack on Kumar, while entirely predictable, contrasted starkly with his fond mention of Lalu and his unabashed appeal to Yadavs to cross over to the BJP. Yaduvanshis dont have to worry. I will take care of their interests, the Gujarat strongman said, throwing the Yadavs a line at a time when they are supposed to be nervy following Lalus conviction. Modi backed up his political seduction play by emphasizing that Dwarka in Gujarat was where Lord Krishna had retreated to set up his kingdom. Gujarat CM made reference to jungle raj — political shorthand for the decay and lawlessness under RJD -- but fondly recalled that Lalu did not rebuff him when he had called to inquire about his well-being after an accident.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 02:01:47 +0000
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