Photographs: Courtesy: www.narendramodi.in
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attacked Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for terming India a "beehive", saying he was shocked that someone could describe `mother India' thus.
"I happened to listen to a speech by a Congress leader two days back, whose words are considered to be very important for that party. I was deeply shocked and pained when he compared India to beehive," Modi said in Ahmedabad during the celebration of 33rd foundation day of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He did not name the Congress scion.
"For you, this might be a beehive but for us this country is our mother. Hundred crore people of this country are our brothers and sisters. This is a sacred land of saints and seers. Atal Bihari Vajpayee used to say every particle of this land is Lord Shankar for us," Modi said.
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'Friends from Congress, please do not insult our country'
"Friends from the Congress, please do not insult our country. If you do not understand the language of people of India, go and learn from somewhere. But due to your ignorance, do not try to destroy the culture and tradition of this country," Modi said.
BJP president Rajnath Singh too was present on the occasion.
"I never pay attention to speeches of any leaders as they are not worth listening to but when they try to play with our feelings we are pained," Modi went on to say, addressing the huge gathering of party workers at Sardar Patel stadium in Ahmedabad.
At his recent speech at CII function in Delhi, Rahul had compared India and China, saying that while China is described as dragon and India as an elephant, India was really a beehive.
"I want to tell my Congress friends that your arrogance of being in power in Delhi is not going to survive for long," Modi said.
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'Forget about Congress ever reforming itself'
Photographs: Reuters
The Gujarat CM was elevated to the BJP parliamentary board and central election committee on March 31, paving the way for a national role for him in the party.
In what sounded more like an election speech, the Gujarat chief minister claimed there can be no comparison between the Congress and the BJP as both have very different characters and thinking.
"Forget about the Congress ever reforming itself for it can never reform.... The kind of language they are using, the expletives and the way they are misleading the people,"
Modi said, alluding to Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi describing him as 'Yamaraj (God of death)'.
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'It pains when Modi is called merchant of death'
Photographs: Reuters
He also promised that there will be no let up in his hard work for "Bharat Mata (the nation)". Modi had reportedly made clear his prime ministerial ambitions earlier this week when he said the time has come for him to pay back his debt to "Bharat Mata".
Modi claimed the BJP is one of the rare parties, which came to power at the Centre in its "youth". In an interesting comparison, he said Britain's Labour Party had taken 80 years since its formation to achieve this.
The newfound bonhomie between Modi and BJP President Rajnath Singh was also visible on the stage with the Gujarat chief minister describing the latter as his "margadarshak (guide)". Singh dubbed Modi the most popular BJP leader.
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 Yamaraj. We will not respond to this. The people will teach them a lesson."
Referring to Rahul Gandhi, Singh said, "The 'yuvaraj' (prince) says the leader will not come on a horse. I can say the BJP leader will neither come on a horse nor an elephant but on foot with the poor and the weak."
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