Modi replays Musharraf record on Gujarat borders

RADHANPUR: Ignoring the repercussions,Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who traversed through the border districts ofBanaskantha and Patan during the fourth leg of the Gaurav Yatra, targeted theCongress and ''Miyan Musharraf'' for the violence in Gujarat. This leg of theyatra comes barely a week after the Akshardham massacre.Continuing hisoffensive against Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf, Modi linked thesending of terrorists to Akshardham with the Narmada issue and said, "Tame aadharti ne laal karo and hun aene liludi karish" (You redden this earth and Iwill green it).Modi told villagers of the drought-hit areas of NorthGujarat like Sihori, Thara, Radhanpur, Sami and Shankeshwar, how the BJP filledthe Sabarmati with Narmada waters.At Ambaji, he made references to stateCongress chief Shankersinh Vaghela as "Shakuni mama" and said that the Congresswas "behind Godhra" and now they are trying to bail out those accused in theincident.At Sami in Patan district, he said, "Whenever there is a poweroutage here, you think of Narendra Modi as the villain of the piece, but it isactually the Congress which is responsible for the problem. Had they installedpower stations 15 years back in the region, there would have been no shortage ofelectricity today."''Italy ki beti'', ''Miyan Musharraf'', ''paanch karodeGujaratio'' and Godhra remained the theme of his rhetoric. At every meeting herepeated Narmada, talked about Sonia''s foreign origin and Musharraf.Tostrike a chord with the public, which barely numbered 3,000 at most places, hesaid, "I have not come from Italy, and I am familiar with the problems faced bypeople of the region." Flanked by Rajendrasinh Rana, Bhupendrasinh Chudasma andPradeepsinh Jadeja, Modi moved around under heavy security - security personnelwere posted at rooftops and other strategic points, while commandos and othersecurity personnel in bullet-proof gear escorted him. Sources said that drillswere conducted four days prior to his visit and all the areas weresanitised.In a single reference to the minority community, he said, "Thereare more Muslims in India than in Pakistan. They live freely here, and go toHaj. There is no need for Pakistan to think about their welfare."Referringto the provocation that led to the Godhra incident, he said, "Is it a sin to sayJai Shree Ram? They (the Congress) are giving lame excuses that the passengersdid not pay for the tea. Let the Congress go and worship Musharraf''s boots."