Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will end his sadbhavna fast at 5.30 pm today. Six km away from his air-conditioned venue, Congress veteran Shankarsinh Vaghela has a snigger and some criticism.
Mr Vaghela, who is on a counter-fast at the Gandhi Ashram - one that began an hour before Mr Modi's did on Saturday - wants to know why the Gujarat Chief Minister will not fast for a full 72 hours to make it a three-day fast as he had promised. The Congressman, who was once Mr Modi's RSS colleague, will break his fast at 10 am on Tuesday.
Criticism for Mr Modi has not been uncommon over the weekend as the man of the moment launched the grand show in an overt effort to change his image and gain wider political acceptance to prepare for the national stage. Though the top BJP leadership has rallied around him and some allies turned up to endorse him, others like the JD(U) have questioned his national acceptance, the Congress has called his fast a "drama".
Gujarat riot victims have slammed the fast as a spectacle to whitewash Mr Modi's image. Sunday, Day 2 of his fast, saw much action with the police detaining riot victims and activists Mallika Sarabhai and Mukul Sinha in Naroda Patiya as they protested against the CM's fast. Naroda Patiya, about 8 km from the fast site at Gujarat University Convention hall, had witnessed the worst riots incident in 2002, when more than 90 people were killed.
The BJP's quick defence in spokesperson Prakash Javedekar's words: "There is a gang that is defaming Gujarat for the last one decade and they are doing it for their own political purpose, but they are getting defeated everywhere. People are coming so it is not just one person (Vastanvi) who is speaking the truth about the people of Gujarat. It is about thousands of Muslims who are doing it and participating in it. It's for a political purpose and a mischievous campaign and just to disturb and distort for which the police has to take a call."
On Monday, top BJP leader Sushma Swaraj is expected to join Mr Modi at the venue of his fast. And Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has taken off from Mumbai airport to meet Mr Modi on the last day of his fast.
On Saturday, Day 1, also Mr Modi's 61st birthday a veritable pantheon of BJP leaders and those of its allies shared stage with Modi, felicitating him and praising him for Gujarat's development.
The 2002 Gujarat riots remain the one big blemish on Mr Modi's career, and with his amity mission, fast to promote communal harmony and open letters to the people of his state, many say the Gujarat Chief Minister's attempt for sadbhavna is a careful image-altering exercise as he gets set for the national stage in the next Lok Sabha elections.
Mr Modi reached out to a fair sprinkling of Muslims at his fast and spoke of inclusive plans. But his attempt at emerging as the first among equals in the BJP needs acceptance across the political spectrum. Though the Akali Dal and the AIADMK backed Modi's fast, he faces stiff competition for the top job from ally JD(U) who doesn't back him as Nitish Kumar is a claimant for the same job.
The fast was the result of a defining last week for the Gujarat Chief Minister. The Supreme Court transferred a Gujarat-riots-related case to a lower court in the state and Narendra Modi tweeted, "God is Great". Suddenly, from a US think tank to BJP patriarch LK Advani, there was talk about Narendra Modi, possible future Prime Minister.
The three-day fast is all about Modi. He is the actor, director and script writer of the show. There are no BJP flags, no hoardings with smiling faces of Vajpayee, Advani and Gadkari. It signals that there is room for just one leader at the top in the party. Modi has taken the head start saying two is a crowd.
Mr Vaghela, who is on a counter-fast at the Gandhi Ashram - one that began an hour before Mr Modi's did on Saturday - wants to know why the Gujarat Chief Minister will not fast for a full 72 hours to make it a three-day fast as he had promised. The Congressman, who was once Mr Modi's RSS colleague, will break his fast at 10 am on Tuesday.
Criticism for Mr Modi has not been uncommon over the weekend as the man of the moment launched the grand show in an overt effort to change his image and gain wider political acceptance to prepare for the national stage. Though the top BJP leadership has rallied around him and some allies turned up to endorse him, others like the JD(U) have questioned his national acceptance, the Congress has called his fast a "drama".
Gujarat riot victims have slammed the fast as a spectacle to whitewash Mr Modi's image. Sunday, Day 2 of his fast, saw much action with the police detaining riot victims and activists Mallika Sarabhai and Mukul Sinha in Naroda Patiya as they protested against the CM's fast. Naroda Patiya, about 8 km from the fast site at Gujarat University Convention hall, had witnessed the worst riots incident in 2002, when more than 90 people were killed.
The BJP's quick defence in spokesperson Prakash Javedekar's words: "There is a gang that is defaming Gujarat for the last one decade and they are doing it for their own political purpose, but they are getting defeated everywhere. People are coming so it is not just one person (Vastanvi) who is speaking the truth about the people of Gujarat. It is about thousands of Muslims who are doing it and participating in it. It's for a political purpose and a mischievous campaign and just to disturb and distort for which the police has to take a call."
On Monday, top BJP leader Sushma Swaraj is expected to join Mr Modi at the venue of his fast. And Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has taken off from Mumbai airport to meet Mr Modi on the last day of his fast.
On Saturday, Day 1, also Mr Modi's 61st birthday a veritable pantheon of BJP leaders and those of its allies shared stage with Modi, felicitating him and praising him for Gujarat's development.
The 2002 Gujarat riots remain the one big blemish on Mr Modi's career, and with his amity mission, fast to promote communal harmony and open letters to the people of his state, many say the Gujarat Chief Minister's attempt for sadbhavna is a careful image-altering exercise as he gets set for the national stage in the next Lok Sabha elections.
Mr Modi reached out to a fair sprinkling of Muslims at his fast and spoke of inclusive plans. But his attempt at emerging as the first among equals in the BJP needs acceptance across the political spectrum. Though the Akali Dal and the AIADMK backed Modi's fast, he faces stiff competition for the top job from ally JD(U) who doesn't back him as Nitish Kumar is a claimant for the same job.
The fast was the result of a defining last week for the Gujarat Chief Minister. The Supreme Court transferred a Gujarat-riots-related case to a lower court in the state and Narendra Modi tweeted, "God is Great". Suddenly, from a US think tank to BJP patriarch LK Advani, there was talk about Narendra Modi, possible future Prime Minister.
The three-day fast is all about Modi. He is the actor, director and script writer of the show. There are no BJP flags, no hoardings with smiling faces of Vajpayee, Advani and Gadkari. It signals that there is room for just one leader at the top in the party. Modi has taken the head start saying two is a crowd.
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