Industries minister Narayan Rane praised Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi calling him a “nice person”, but questioned his intentions. Mr Rane alleged that Mr Modi was playing with the sentiments of the people to become the Prime Minister.
“Mr Modi is a nice person, but the intention of his work is not good. To get the post of the Prime Minister he is playing with the sentiments of the people. But he (Mr Modi) or the BJP will never succeed in their objectives,” Mr Rane said while talking to reporters in Nagpur.
Expressing his opinion on the new poll campaign chief of the BJP, Mr Rane said, “Modi might have done some good development work, but the situation of Gujarat is different from what he is claiming. 24 per cent population of Gujarat is still living below poverty line (BPL). The per capita income of the state is only `89,000, in contrast with Maharashtra’s, which is `95,000.”
On a question about the BJP claiming that Congress was suffering from “Modi-phobia”, the revenue minister replied that the situation was exactly the opposite of what was being projected by the BJP. “Actually, the BJP is scared of Congress and hence they are concentrating on attracting Hindus by raising the old Hindutva agenda again. However, 100 per cent Hindus are not with the BJP. Only a secular party could rule the country and that is Congress,” Mr Rane asserted.
Mr Rane also commented on the “Nationalist Hindu” statement of Mr Modi, saying, “I am also a Hindu and what is wrong in it? I am a Hindu who believes in all religions. But, when Mr Modi and BJP call themselves Hindus, it is their intentions that are different, which is fatal for the country.
Coming down heavily on Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, Mr Rane said, “Only going to Delhi will not work, for that one needs to know the Hindi language. There is no leader left in Shiv Sena and its existence is limited only to the BMC.” Mr Rane was commenting on Uddhav’s visit to New Delhi.