He used the occasion to project himself as a
national leader
BJP's Sunday rally at Shivaji Park set the stage
for 2009 elections by projecting Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as the
political role model capable of stoking passion through acerbic speeches on
matters ranging from good governance to communalism.
Modi used the occasion for an image makeover and tried to portray himself as
the party's national leader. National security and developmental politics were
the two important aspects needed to change the country's destiny, he said.
Trying to talk tough, Modi challenged the government
at the Centre and state to wind up their exercise of communal budgeting.
A separate budget for Muslims was not acceptable
to the country because poverty does not have a tag of caste or community, he
said. And people cannot forgive Congress for debating the existence of Ram.
"My mission is to take forward the issues
related to national welfare," said Modi.
In what seemed like a well though out script,
Modi trained his guns on three important state leaders - chief minister Vilasrao
Deshmukh, union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and union home minister Shivraj
Patil - to expose administrative failures.
Mumbai, he said, was an identity of the country
which accommodated everyone. But those ruling the state have managed to create
a principle that good governance is bad politics. "They have succeeded
for five decades because they believed in vote-bank
politics based on compromises, caste divide and alliances," said Modi.
"I can say with certainty that good governance
and development politics will determine the fate of the governments. I am here
to break the established traditions of Congress - equating good governance with
bad politics."
He said, "I am anguished to see my opponents
attacking the people for my victory. If anybody raises a finger against the
people of Gujarat, he or she will get a befitting reply."
