The Hindu : Rally against Modi in Saurashtra

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 30, 2002

National

National

Rally against Modi in Saurashtra

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR AUG. 29. The Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, is facing stiff resistance to his "gaurav rath yatra" from an unexpected quarter: the Jains of the Saurashtra region.

The Jain sadhus and several other Hindu organisations took out a rally today through the streets of Rajkot, from where Mr. Modi was elected to the State Assembly in February, protesting the reported move by the BJP-led Government at the Centre to issue licences for starting new slaughter houses, many of them believed to be located in the Saurashtra region.

The attempts by the local BJP leaders to explain that there was no such move and if there was any it would be resisted by Mr. Modi, however, failed to convince the enraged Jain leaders. They also said they had no faith in Mr. Modi because before the Assembly by-elections he had taken a "vow" to protect the animals, particularly cows, but had forgotten about it after getting elected. "To us, a vow means commitment to God, but Mr. Modi has failed to live up to his commitment,'' said Sirish Batavia, president of the Geet Gurjari Upashraya.

"Even if the reports of giving fresh licences to slaughter houses is not true, it will be difficult for the Jains to trust Mr. Modi a second time,'' said another irate Jain leader.

Mr. Modi had "refused" to meet a Jain delegation from Mahudi, a major pilgrim centre, and had lost the confidence of the members of his community.

But even as the BJP is blaming the Congress for "creating a controversy" over the non-exist slaughter houses, some of the local units of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in the Saurashtra region are supporting the "morcha" by the Jains causing more concern to the ruling party. "The BJP Government has failed to fulfil the promises made to the people," a leader of the VHP said.

The former PCC president, Amarsinh Chaudhary, while ridiculing the "rath yatra" said the BJP Government had achieved nothing in the last four-and-a-half years.

Claiming that the BJP had not implemented even 20 per cent of the schemes it had announced, he said the people would give a "fitting reply" to Mr. Modi's yatra.

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