New Delhi: The lights at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Patel Stadium were switched off. A crowd of nearly one lakh people holding candles was made to pledge that they would dedicate their lives to bringing the BJP back to power at the Centre.
The mega celebration on the BJP’s foundation day appeared to be an exercise to launch Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi towards New Delhi.
“Congress treats India as a beehive, for us India is our mother. The time has come to teach them (the Congress) a lesson,” Modi, emerging as the saffron face for the 2014 general election, said.
Slamming AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his speech at the CII function earlier this week, Modi, without taking his name, said, “The Congress leader has no clue about the ethos of India and so describes the country as ‘beehive’. He is saying so because he has studied in England and America.”
Modi “pleaded” with the Congress not to insult the “mother (India)”.
Don’t insult nation: Modi to Congress
“I warn the rulers in Delhi that if you think your CBI will be able to dishearten us, your thinking is wrong.” In an apparent reference to Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s Italian origin, he said, "If you (Congress) don’t understand India, then learn from others, but don’t insult the country."
Taking the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre head on, Modi blamed it for ruining and instilling pessimism in the country. "BJP was not formed to usurp power but to serve people, and this was well recognised in the country when within 18 years of its existence a government was formed under the leadership of Atal Behari Vajpayee. This was no mean achievement, particularly when in many countries political parties fail to come to power even after 80 years of existence," he said.
Modi also accused the Centre of misusing the CBI and governors “I warn the rulers in Delhi that if you think your CBI will be able to dishearten us, your thinking is wrong.”
If you think you can harass BJP-ruled states through your governors, you can take it from me in writing that the people will give a befitting reply to the Centre and the Congress," he said, adding that all government institutions are being "used to harass the BJP government, its workers and the party".
Taking a swipe at Congress leaders for choosing "abusive" words to describe him and his party, the Gujarat CM said, "Earlier also Congress leaders attempted to do so, but the people of Gujarat taught them a lesson. It seems that they have learnt nothing and are indulging in the same kind of tricks. Again they will be taught lessons."
Keeping the nature of the party’s symbol, the lotus, in mind, the Gujarat strongman asserted: "Jitna kichad phenkoge, utna hi kamal aur khilega (the lotus will bloom in proportion to the amount of muck being thrown)."
On Friday, AICC spokesperson Rashid Alvi, in response to a question, had appeared to compare Modi with Yamraj. Alvi had said, "Had Rahul Gandhi meant Modi, he wouldhave mentioned bhainsa (buffalo, the carrier of the god of death)."
Rejecting the Congress’ mantra of "inclusive growth", Modi in his speech pitched for "progressive development", which meant add on to what has already been achieved.
Meanwhile, sharing the dais with Modi in Gandhinagar, BJP president Rajnath Singh, who was the only national leader invited to attend the function, described the GujaratCM as the most popular leader in the country.
Rajnath Singh also targeted the Congress for its attacks on Modi, saying: "It pains us when he is called merchant of death. Though he has taught the Congress a lesson in the elections, it is not mending its ways. Now they have called him Yamraj.
We will not respond to this. The people will teach them a lesson." Referring to Rahul Gandhi,  Singh said, "The yuvraj (prince) says the leader will not come on a horse. I can say the BJP leader will neither come on a horse nor on an elephant, but on foot with the poor and the weak."