The Hindu : Front Page : Taslima welcome to stay in Gujarat: Modi

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Wednesday, Nov 28, 2007
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Taslima welcome to stay in Gujarat: Modi

Manas Dasgupta

“State government will provide her full protection and she will be safe here”; Chief Minister launches poll campaign

Even if she criticises me, I will welcome it, says Chief Minister
Raises new controversy over marking on
two-rupee coin

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has promised a “safe home” for the threatened Bangladeshi writer, Taslima Nasreen, in his State and invited her to stay in Gujarat if the Central Government could not provide her the necessary protection.

Launching the BJP’s election campaign with a meeting at Botad in Bhavnagar district, the constituency of his Energy Minister, Saurabh Patel, Mr. Modi said Gujarat stood for peace and security and the State was known for safety for women and protection of their prestige.

He said if the Centre was not in a position to give protection to Taslima Nasreen, she was welcome in Gujarat. “The State government will provide her full protection and she will be safe in this State,” Mr. Modi said.

Mr. Modi’s meeting was part of the BJP’s “carpet bombing campaign” for the Assembly elections launched simultaneously on Tuesday in over 50 of the 87 constituencies going for the first phase of polling on December 11.

The party’s senior national and state leaders fanned out into the Kutch-Saurashtra and the south Gujarat regions slated for the first phase of polling and addressed over 75 public meetings at different places to campaign for the party’s candidates.

Among those who addressed meetings were the BJP national president, Rajnath Singh, the former president, Venkaih Naidu, the national general secretary and in-charge of Gujarat elections, Arun Jaitley, senior leaders, Sushma Swaraj, VHP leader Vinay Katiyar, the former Union Minister, Ravishankar Prasad, the former Mahrashtra Deputy Chief Minister, Gopinath Munde, the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, Sushilkumar Modi, the former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Arjun Munda, Mr. Kalraj Mishra, the former cricketer, Navjyot Singh Siddhu, noted television star, Smriti Irani, and the State party president, Purshottam Rupala.

In a surprise move, the Congress has picked Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Dinsha Patel, to challenge Mr. Modi in Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad city scheduled to go for the second phase of polling on December 16.

Following his selection, Mr. Patel arrived here late on Tuesday evening to file his nomination papers on Wednesday, the last day of filling nominations for the second phase polling. His BJP rival and the Chief Minister will also be taken in a procession before the returning officer to file his papers on the last day of nominations.

Mr. Patel was selected to give a tougher fight to Mr. Modi for whom it was otherwise believed to be a virtual cakewalk in the predominantly urban constituency. The Congress sources said the minister was selected as most other senior leaders turned down the offer. In the panel of three names, the union minister, being a Patel, was found to be the most suitable choice for the constituency having about 20,000 “Patel” voters and unhappy with Mr. Modi because of the dissent expressed by his political rival and former Chief Minister, Keshubhai Patel.

“A national issue”

At his Botad meeting and in an interview to a local newspaper earlier, Mr. Modi said Taslima Nasreen was welcome to stay in Gujarat and carry on with her work of literature and serve the mankind. “Even if she criticises me, I will welcome it.” Mr. Modi did not think Taslima’s arrival here would disrupt the communal harmony in the State, “it is a national issue and should not be looked from the minority point of view,” he said.

Mr. Modi, who also addressed meetings at Rapar and Bulsar during the day, hit out at the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and the party-led UPA government at the Centre, for “wiping out” the “Hindu culture” in the country. Kicking up a new controversy, he said after refusing to accept the very existence of Lord Ram, the Central government had in its new two-rupee coins had removed the India’s map and had put a “cross” in its place. “What does it indicate?” he asked the voters.

The “Ram Setu” issue was also the central theme of Mr. Venkaih Naidu’s meetings while Mr Rajnath Singh, who addressed meetings at Kalawad, Tankara and Rajkot, mainly dwelt on the development of the state in the Modi regime.

Mr. Jaitley mainly harped on the security aspects of the state vis-À-vis a state of fear and insecurity in most other states threatened by terrorist activities or infested by naxalism while Ms. Swaraj attacked Ms. Gandhi for her party’s failure to pass the 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and the State Assemblies.

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