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Modi deftly tackles pro-Patel demonstrators

By Manas Dasgupta

JUNAGADH (GUJARAT) SEPT. 15. The supporters of the former Gujarat Chief Minister, Keshubhai Patel, staged a demonstration during the second day of the second leg of the "gaurav yatra" of the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, at Mr. Patel's Assembly constituency of Visavadar in Junagadh district on Sunday. The yatra covered parts of the Saurashtra region.

The demonstration by a small group of Patel supporters, however, did not last long. Mr. Modi remained unfazed and handled the situation tactfully and joined them in raising pro-Patel slogans. "Mr. Patel is my senior leader and I acknowledge his contributions in bringing the Narmada water to your town,'' he said to silence the slogan-raising crowd.

Later, in a brief chat with presspersons, Mr. Modi said he did not believe that Mr. Patel, who had been unhappy with the way he was shunted out of the office by the party, had any hand in the demonstration.

The reason for staging the demonstration, however, was termed as "mischief'' played by a section of the local BJP leaders who, in a bid to attract crowd, used Mr. Patel's name at the meeting. The local people said they were told by the party on Saturday that the former Chief Minister, who represented the constituency till he was elected to the Rajya Sabha, was accompanying Mr. Modi in the yatra. The Patel supporters had come prepared with banners and festoons to greet their leader, but were disappointed to find that he was not present.

Mr. Modi, who began the yatra from Amreli, was virtually mobbed at Mendarda where almost the entire town was out on the streets to receive the Chief Minister. Mendarda also presented a unique example of communal amity with a large group of Muslims coming out to receive Mr. Modi. They also forced Mr. Modi to address them briefly and cheered him when he said the Muslims in Gujarat were much better placed and happy than their counterparts in Pakistan.

Considering the fact that Saurashtra region remained unaffected by communal disturbances, Mr. Modi used it to his advantage against the Congress, asking the people at every village and town whether there was any incident of Muslim persecution in their areas.

As the locals shouted in the negative, Mr. Modi told them that the Congress did not agree with them and its leaders have continued to term "every Gujarati a killer, rapist and arsonist.

Can you pardon a party that painted you as the devil,'' he asked the people.

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• New twist to controversy over Modi's remarks
• Modi deftly tackles pro-Patel demonstrators
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