Anita Saluja
Express News Service
Last Updated : 18 Sep 2011 09:27:41 AM IST
NEW DELHI: Narendra Modi has taken the fast-track to national prominence. As his three-day fast began on Saturday, the Congress could at best offer a poor parody of the Gujarat Chief Minister with the anti-Modi fast by former CM Shankarsingh Vaghela and State Congress chief Arjun Modhvadia in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati ashram getting few takers.
Along with Modi’s rebirth, the NDA seemed to be coming together as the UPA is dithering. BJP leaders including NDA Working Chairman L K Advani, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, besides spokespersons Ravi Shankar Prasad, Shahnawaz Hussain and others were present. Though Jayalalithaa asked for not too much to be read into her support for Modi, she sent AIADMK leader in the Lok Sabha M. Thambidurai and his counterpart in the Rajya Sabha V Maitreyan to keep his fast company. Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was also present. BJP President Nitin Gadkari, wrote to Modi, congratulating him on his Sadbhavna Mission after the “important verdict” by the Supreme Court in the Gulbarg Society riots case. “Due to the Supreme Court verdict you have successfully passed the test by fire. This decision underlines the fact that truth always triumphs. I have no doubt that in the wake of this all forces propagating falsehood and untruths will be defeated,” wrote Gadkari, who is recovering after his surgery.
Barring the JD (U), most of the Allies have come forward in support of Modi. It is no secret that another PM aspirant, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reservations against Modi, perhaps the reason why Sharad Yadav, who is close to the BJP leadership, avoided the Sadbhavna Mission.
The three-day fast by Modi is being seen by his friends and foes alike as an attempt by the Hindutva-icon to rebuild his image that will take him straight to the South block after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. With RSS on his side and the BJP leaders following him, the Allies, too, would be constrained to toe the same line.
Modi’s speech on Saturday was mostly emotive than political as he tried to reach out to the minorities and the downtrodden. He stressed that for the last 10 years, stones have been thrown at him and the people but he has been picking up the stones and has succeeded to build a staircase of development. “I have never prayed in the past but now I will pray to Almighty for peace and harmony in the state,” he said.
It was not merely development Modi was championing in his new national role. He drew a comparison between the period prior to his taking-over the chief ministership of the state. “I remember 1980 and 90s, when there was complete communal disharmony. On every small discord, there used to be violence and curfew. When a child was born he/she learnt the word ‘curfew’ before learning ‘mummy and papa’,” said Modi. “Look at the situation now. 10 years later, there is no sign of disharmony. Gujarat has realised the strength of brotherhood. And this learning has not come through any preaching or advice, but through the fruits of development. Our growth has assured us that unity is our strength,” he remarked.The New Modi avoided his usual public practice of taking on the Gandhi family, (goongi gudiya et al), not even referring to the Congress even once in his speech.
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