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In his first speech as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi called for a strong leadership at the Centre.
In a rally which was avoided by all senior leaders of the BJP, a usually aggressive Modi appeared less combative. He criticised the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for its indulgence in ‘vote-bank’ politics, ignorance towards the concerns of the armed forces, and for being soft on Pakistan and China.
“Till we have a strong government we cannot ensure security of the country,” Modi said. “I have not heard good news for the last ten years... Every day we are surrounded by new troubles. Is Pakistan, China intruding our borders because of Army’s weakness? The problem is not at the border but in Delhi. It has to be corrected from Delhi too.”
His speech, however, lacked mention of issues such as the present economic slowdown, inflation and rising corruption. There was no mention of Hindutava and Ram Janambhoomi. Modi was addressing a rally for ex-servicemen.
“I can hear the sound of Haryana, which is challenging the seat of power in Delhi,” said the Gujarat chief minister.
From early morning, an enthusiastic audience of over 100,000 people assembled at the venue. People from all walks of life – farmers on foot, students in hired buses and others in imported SUVs—hailed Modi as the ‘lion of India’. Even as Modi spoke, an excited crowd eager to get a glimpse, was repeatedly lathi-charged by the police. “He is surely the next prime minister,” said Rajveer, 32, who came from neighbouring Mahendragarh district.
In his speech, Modi asked those who question his secularism to ‘take lessons in secularism from the Army’. He said the UPA government had committed a ‘sin’ by asking the Sachar Committee to count the number of Hindus and Muslims in the Army. In 2006, the Rajinder Sachar Committee had recommended carrying out a headcount of Muslims in the Army. Subsequently, the recommendation was turned down by the then Army Chief JJ Singh and later by the Defence Minister AK Antony.
Modi also had a word of advice for Pakistan. “If for 10 years, Pakistan shuns violence and instead focuses on poverty, illiteracy and superstition, then it will start progressing too.”
Though the present rally was planned much before Modi’s formal anointment on September 13, the party is banking on the state to improve its electoral prospects in the Lok Sabha elections. From wooing the ex-servicemen through proposals such as ‘one-rank-one-pay’, the party is negotiating with allies by bringing Om Prakash Chautala and Kuldip Bishnoi’s Haryana Janhit Congress (Bhajan Lal). Bishnoi attended today’s rally. In the 1999 election, when Modi was the party in-charge of the state, the BJP had won five seats while Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal bagged the remaining five seats. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Congress won 9 seats out of 10, while the remaining one was retained by Bishnoi's HJC (BL)
The rally was also attended by retired army generals, including General VK Singh and former Uttrakhand Chief Minister BC Khanduri.
