By IANS,
Ahmedabad: Launching his three-day ‘sadbhavna’ fast for peace, unity and harmony, Chief Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said Gujarat was his family and the day was not far off when the world would discuss it as a model state. Top BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani, attending the function, heaped praise on Modi’s governance.
The event kicked off at 10.30 a.m. at the Gujarat University convention centre here with chants of ‘Allahu Akbar’ merging with Sanskrit shlokas. The event coincides with Modi’s 61st birthday.
“The mission is to unite, not divide. Gujarat is my family, the six crore Gujaratis’ happiness and grief, dreams and aspirations is mine,” Modi asserted.
“My fast is not against anyone…that was, is and will never be my agenda. Just like the world praises Gujarat’s model for development and governance, that day is not far when people will discuss our model for inclusive growth and communal harmony,” Modi said.
“I can say with pride that we want to move ahead and give something back to the nation. A state like Gujarat can pull another state which is not so developed. We have the strength and the capability,” Modi told the cheering crowd at the Gujarat University’s plush convention hall here.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani, who was also present at the event, said: “No other state in the country can pride itself of 11 percent growth. No other state has done so much against corruption like Gujarat”.
Jaitley too praised Modi’s governance, saying: “There is politics of honesty in Gujarat. On the other hand, there is an atmosphere of corruption at the centre.”
Recounting the Gujarat earthquake of 2001, the communal violence of 2002 and the serial blasts of 2008, Modi said that each time the people have emerged stronger and have touched new heights of development.
Referring to the 2002 riots, he said: “In 2002, we were struck with communal violence. People were thirsty for each other’s blood. Innocent lives were lost. To normalise the tense situation, we used all our might. At that time, I had said in any civilised society such a thing should not happen, but everyone cursed and maligned us. No one supported us.”
“People said Gujarat was finished, and that investors will not come here. But we crossed that hurdle and developed by leaps and bound,” he added.
“In this context, I can say that just like the world praises Gujarat’s model for successful development, people will also discuss it as a model of communal harmony and inclusive growth,” he said.
He went on to say that he chose the path of fasting to “reach across to people” because he felt this was a stronger medium than just his words.
In an attempt to reach out to the Muslim community, he said: “If any part of the body is weak, the entire body cannot be termed as healthy. Similarly, if any community is weak in the state, it cannot be considered as a developed state.”
BJP stalwarts, including Advani, Arun Jaitley, Ravi Shanker Prasad, former party president Rajnath Singh and Mukhtar Abas Naqvi were also present. Rajya Sabha member and TV star Smriti ‘Tulsi’ Irani added the glamour quotient. AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai, the party leader in the Lok Sabha, and his counterpart in the Rajya Sabha V. Maitreyan were also present.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal also attended the event.
On Friday, in an open letter, Modi said he was “grateful” to those who had pointed out his “genuine mistakes” in the last 10 years and that no one can claim to be perfect.
He also said that casteism and communalism “have never done any good to society. This is also my own firm conviction.”
A five-tier security ring has been thrown around Gujarat University’s convention hall. The venue has been ringed with police and turned into a fortress.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress began its own “fast” as a counter to Modi.
Former chief minister Shankarsinh Vaghela and state Congress chief Arjun Modhvadia began their own fast in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram in Sabarmati.
The Congress dubbed Modi’s fast as a “5-star fast”.
“We are sitting quietly on our fast in front of Gandhi-ji’s ashram. It is not a cheating fast worth Rs.50 crore,” Vaghela said.
In New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi satirically noted that the BJP and Modi were free to “dream”.
“Narendra Modi and BJP are having daydreams and they have all the right to dream,” Alvi said.