The Hindu : Modi blasts Opposition for `defaming' Gujarat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 20, 2002

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Modi blasts Opposition for `defaming' Gujarat

By Our Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR July 19. The Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, has launched a scathing attack on the Congress and other Opposition parties and a section of the media for "defaming'' Gujarat and the five-crore Gujaratis as "rapists'' before the world.

In an address over radio and television immediately after submitting the resignation of his Ministry to the Governor and recommending the dissolution of the Assembly, Mr. Modi said that it was to stop the "power-hungry people'' from trading for chairs at the cost of the interest and good name of the State that he was seeking a fresh mandate.

"The best spirit of democracy is to go to the people. So again we seek your blessings in the form of a people's mandate to march forward with fresh air and new trust.''

Without naming any specific party, Mr. Modi spoke about the situation prevailing during the communal riots and said the "power-hungry forces stooped to the lowest possible level and made united efforts to devour the prestige of the State.'' The elements who failed to stop the Narmada dam were now out to portray Gujaratis as the rapists to the rest of the world and called the State "Godse's Gujarat''. Not a single hour passed in the Lok Sabha without an attempt to malign and degrade Gujarat. "Look at the poverty of their thoughts and the peak of their hatred towards Gujarat,'' he said.

He said rumours were also spread to demoralise the police force, divide the administration and create an atmosphere of mistrust. Attempts were made to protect the Godhra killers and even doubts were created as if the innocent "kar sevaks'' committed suicide to set Gujarat afire.

"The power-hungry people have even forgotten the respect one should pay to the dead, to save the guilty in the Godhra carnage.''

``When the five-crore Gujaratis longed for support and compassion during their difficult days and waited for a hand to wipe away their tears, what they got were innumerable number of delegations, rubbing salt into their wounds. They had decided not to let the wounds heal and went about spoiling the atmosphere. The people of Gujarat have understood the criminal strategy of those who want to keep the communal fire burning, wearing the mask of democracy.

"They even converted the Lok Sabha into a battle ground demanding the resignation of a duly-elected Government giving the impression of an irresponsible Opposition and even after their defeat they continued to `suffocate' Gujarat.''

Referring to the call for a boycott of the secondary and higher secondary examinations, Mr. Modi said the `power-hungry' people to "bake their political bread'' did not hesitate even to play with the future of 1.2 crore students but fortunately received a rebuff. They also looked for bloodshed in all the religious festivals, but were frustrated by an agile police force.

Claiming that 98 per cent of Gujarat remained peaceful when an impression was being created that the entire State was burning, Mr. Modi said more than Rs. 8,000 crore investments were received during the period, the people went about their normal chores and all the religious festivals were celebrated peacefully.

"It is unfortunate that the Opposition in Gujarat believed in the negative path'' and were out to obstruct all the developmental activities of the Government, but the people would teach them a lesson at the hustings, he said.

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