Modi holds day-long fast at Dwarka

Launching the second round of his Sadhbhavna mission, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday observed a day-long fast here, saying he wanted to "expose" those trying to defame Gujarat.

To counter the Chief Minister, Congress MP from Jamnagar Vikram Madam along with couple of local party MLAs held a parallel one-day fast about 3-km from the venue of Modi's fast.

Modi arrived here this morning and offered prayers at Dwarkadheesh temple and also inaugurated an exhibition set up by state information department. Addressing a gathering, the Chief Minister said, "I do not want to gain anything by staging fast but I want to expose efforts of those who do not miss any opportunity to defame Gujarat.

"I want to send message that while detractors of Gujarat are trying to defame it, the state believes in brotherhood." Modi had begun his Sadhbhavna mission on September 17 by holding a three-day fast in Ahmedabad after the Supreme Court refused to pass any order against him in Zakia Jaffery case. Gujarat was the first state in the country to extend help to Srinagar and even Pakistan during earthquake, he said, adding the opposition ignored Gujarat's humanitarian approach. Gujarat has achieved a great deal of progress and even its detractors have to accept it, Modi observed.

State Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala, BJP state unit spokesperson Vijay Rupani and MPs and MLAs of Saurashtra and Kutch were among those present.