The Gujarat Chief Minister, whose fast coincides with his 62nd birthday today, started the day by seeking his mother's blessings. As Modi made a pitch for the national stage, top BJP leaders leaders including LK Advani and Arun Jaitley attend the show of strength.
"I have never celebrated my birthday. This is the only day of the year I don't meet anyone, I don't talk to anyone, I don't celebrate my birthday. But because Saturday and Sunday was convenient, that's why I chose this day, this has got nothing to do with my birthday," said Modi as he began his fast.
Modi cites Gujarat growth tale
Hailing the strides made by Gujarat, Modi said he wanted the country to follow the Gujarat model. Modi said," The country and the world is talking about the development of Gujarat."
Invoking a sense of Gujarati pride, Modi said that Gujarat has been propped up on the world map of growth and development, thanks to the perseverance of its people.
"After the Gujarat earthquake, people started to feel that Gujarat will never grow again. But Gujarat has bounced back and is a developed state. People said nobody will invest in Gujarat, but we overcame that difficulty and reached new heights of development," he added.
Calling himself a leader of 6 crore Gujaratis, Modi said that the state has put its undeveloped and unstable past behind and managed to remain united even after the Akshardham attack.
"Gujarat has come together for the development. When Akshardham was attacked, the whole country believed that Gujarat will be divided. We gave an example of peace, harmony after the Akshardham attack," said Modi.
The Gujarat Chief Minister also said that he shares suffering of riot victims, but he defended his government's role in 2002 and said that the government acted with strength and strictness.
Modi shared space with senior BJP leaders Advani and Jailtey and NDA allies Parkash Singh Badal. AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, who has praised Modi, has sent two of her senior leaders in attendance.
Earlier, the Gujarat Congress unit too begun its counter-fast at the abarmati Ashram on Saturday, calling it a Satyagraha.
Grand preparations have been made for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's three-day fast for peace and harmony in Ahmedabad, with an estimate of over Rs 50 lakhs to be spent over the next three days.
Top BJP leaders have flown down to participate in it, Jayalalitha too would be represented by her party MPs. But a key NDA ally, Nitish Kumar's JDU - uneasy with the new move of the Gujarat Chief Minister - is unlikely to be present.
Congress slams Modi
Congress leaders Shankersinh Vaghela and Arjun Modhwadia also began their fast earlier on Saturday and slammed Modi for wasting the taxpayers' money.
"What is the need for Modi to spend taxpayers' money to hold a lavish fast? He could have held his fast at the CM's residence as well. The Modi government is corrupt, and is facing many corruption allegations," he said.
GPCC President Arjun Modhwadia on Saturday said that Modi is wasting the taxpayers' money for his fast.
"If Narendra Modi really wants to show 'sadbhavna', he must deliver good governance. The fast is a show off at the cost of people's money," he said.
The BJP, meanwhile, hailed Modi as a national leader, accepted both at Gujarat and Delhi.
"Modi's letter is a sign of forgetting and forgiving and moving on from the past. It's a very sober occasion. It's not that Modi is not the national leader being the CM of Gujarat. There is no new definition required for him. His leadership is accepted at Delhi and Gujarat both. He is a popular man, it's a great occasion that his colleagues and friends from NDA are here," said BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
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