Decision to seek death for Kodnani attack on Hindus: Shiv Sena

Terming as “a deadly attack on Hindus” the Gujarat government’s nod for seeking death penalty for former BJP minister Maya Kodnani and nine others in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case, Shiv Sena on Saturday said Hindus have different expectations from Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

“There is a feeling that Modi is a protector of Hindus. Seeking death penalty for Kodnani and Bajrangi is a deadly attack on Hindus, who have different expectations from Modi,” an editorial in Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said.

“It has become a crime to be a Hindu in this country. We are sad that those launching deadly attacks on Hindus are Hindus,” the editorial said.

In August last year, a trial court had sentenced Kodnani, once a close Modi aide, to 28 years in jail, while Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi was ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison. Eight others were awarded 31-year imprisonment, while 22 convicts got 24 years prison term.

As many as 97 people were killed in Naroda Patiya locality of Ahmedabad by a violent mob on February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra train carnage triggered communal riots in Gujarat.

The Gujarat government had earlier this week decided to file an appeal in the High Court seeking death penalty for Kodnani and others, seven months after the sentence was pronounced, much beyond the stipulated period of three months.

“There can be no two opinions that criminals should be punished. However, when the court has already given a harsh sentence to Kodnani and Bajrangi, what does the Gujarat Government want to show to the world by seeking the death penalty,” the editorial said, adding “Godhra riots were a reaction to the burning of the Sabarmati Express.”

“It has often been said that Gujarat is a laboratory of Hinduism. The only expectation is that the lab does not produce (nidharmita) a religious poison,” it said.

The Sena’s comments on Modi came three days after the party, a key NDA ally, asked the BJP to take a clear stand on projecting the Gujarat Chief Minister as NDA’s prime ministerial candidate.

“The BJP has the right to decide its prime ministerial candidate but it can?t make (anyone) prime minister on its own. It will have to take allies in the NDA into confidence,” the Sena had said.

“A section in the BJP is making noise over Modi being made party?s prime ministerial candidate. Is he really BJP’s nominee for prime minister?s post? BJP president Rajnath Singh and party stalwarts like L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj should make it clear,” the Sena had said.

Uddhav Thackeray’s take on Narendra Modi’s victory

The Shiv Sena executive president today said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamna that Modi had more or less repeated his past performance. Following are Thackeray’s observations in the article:

-Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi and other top Congress leaders called Modi all kinds of names. Even the CBI was used to contain Modi. All NGOs painted Modi as a villain at the international level, but it was all in vain.

-The Gujarat Parivartan Party, headed by former chief minister Keshubhai Patel also tried to contain Modi but failed.

-By the end of the day on Thursday, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief Arjun Modwadia had to quit. Even Leader of Opposition in the outgoing house S.S. Gohil had to bite the dust of defeat.

-After Modi’s resounding third straight win over Gujarat, the Congress could not even celebrate its own victory in Himachal Pradesh, which it wrested from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

-Actually, the Congress campaigned against Modi as a prospective prime ministerial candidate, rather than targetting the BJP. Now, Modi is knocking on the doors of Delhi.

-Modi has won the hearts of the people first, and then the elections.

-He has dedicated his victory to the people of Gujarat and vowed to work for them for the next five years. As long as he understands the plight of the common man and continues in the same vein, Modi will continue to blacken the faces of the people with black money.

-The manner in which Modi displayed humility by touching rival Keshubhai Patel’s feet “raised his stature even more; and in the long run, it could benefit the BJP.

Narendra Modi to visit Mumbai on Sunday morning

Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Mumbai on Sunday to pay homage to Shiv Sena founder later Shri Balasaheb Thackeray. Shri Modi will condol Thackeray family at 10.00 am in Mumbai.

Shri Thackeray(86) passed away today at 3.30 pm at his residence due to cardiac arrest.

Following the death of Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray today, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said it was not just the demise of a person but also the end of an era.

Paying his condolences, Mr. Modi said that people have been constantly praying for Balasaheb’s long life for the last of couple of days but he left all of us saddened after fighting for life. He had all along lived the life of a fighter.

Mr. Modi said that although Balasaheb had stayed away from the corridors of power but had formed a powerful political organization, giving it a form of political movement of sorts. Few can match him in straightforward expression of nationalist ideology. He never compromised with patriotism. He was a rare personality, an accomplished cartoonist, an exemplary journalist and a lively citizen, always alive to the problems of the people in all public matters.

The Chief Minister recalled that he was fortunate to have received Balasaheb’s affection in abandon and his death was a big personal loss to as an elderly person, too.

Paying his tributes to the departed leader sent his condolences to the bereaved family to be able to withstand the loss.

Narendra Modi loses his top supporter within NDA Part – 3

Thackeray was not always full of praise for Modi. When Modi started Sadbhavana mission, Thackeray had critical note to pass on.

In last year Thackeray said the Gujarat Chief Minister shot to power by the Hindu vote bank and he should not give them “poison of secularism” in his battle for “gaddi” in Delhi. He also asked Modi not to forget that after Maharashtra, Gujarat was the laboratory of Hinduism and said whatever he was today, it was because of Hindu vote bank.

“Hindu ramsevaks were killed in Godhra riots (train burning) and that’s why Hindus were inflammed. Do not kill them by giving them dose of the poison of secularism,” Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamna’.

“Modi’s battle may be for the ‘gaddi’ (throne) of Delhi. But it is impossible without ‘sadbhavana’ (goodwill) of Hindus. It was the saffron flag which helped propel Modi to leadership position. It was due to Hindu vote bank that Modi reached the place where he is today,” he further said.

In January, Gujarat Chief Minister greeted Shri Thackeray on his birthday and described him as a ‘straightforward’ leader adding that “he always fought for Hindutva,” This was quoated in Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

“A personality like his comes once in a century, he gave all in the national interest and ruled people’s hearts,” Modi had said.Link

In October this year Thackeray in Saamna said: Modi has shown his grip on Gujarat and is going to win the polls for the third time in a row. It won’t be easy for anyone to stop the victory march of Modi because of the pace of development in Gujarat in last 10 years under Modi’s leadership.A picture is painted on TV channels that Modi is some sort of demon and that he is going to gobble up all Muslims in the country,” Thackeray said, adding that it was wrong.

Thackeray further said: After the Gujarat riots, Congress labelled Modi as “merchant of death” but look what happened. Congress managed only 55 seats but the Modi-led BJP got 121 seats. In her entire speech, she did not even mention Modi’s name once. This is an indication that Congress has conceded defeat even before the electoral battle starts. Congress feels the dominance of Patels in Saurashtra will benefit it due to division of Hindu votes. This is nothing but a “day dream”.

There is no doubt that Narendra Modi has lost his senior most vocal supporter in NDA.

Paying homage to Shri Thackeray, Shri Modi tweeted: Full of life, Balasaheb Thackeray was an epitome of courage & valour. I am grieved to hear about his demise. May his soul rest in peace.