DESPITE scotching heat and sultry weather the high enthusiasm of youth and unprecedented gathering at ‘Bihar Swabhiman Rally’ brought cheers on the faces of BJP activists. The high turnout shocked the RJD and Congress camps, as their all efforts to draw undue political mileage from the misconception developed after an advertisement, released in newspapers by some Bihar-based admirers of Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi a day before, were foiled. After this rally they must have read the warnings on the wall.
The whole Patna city was drowned in BJP flags, banners and hoarding. All roads of the city led to historic Gandhi Maidan, as the groups of youth dancing on the tune of drums, riding on motorbikes and open jeeps, were proceeding in large number. The people had started reaching Gandhi Maidan even before 10 am while the rally was scheduled to begin at 2 pm. The crowd turned to the rally was beyond expectations as the pandal put short and the people had to stand outside it. “Since it is marriage season in Bihar, it was very difficult to hire buses. We had to pay double fare to private transporters for use of their buses for today’s rally,” said BJP MLA Shri Rameshwar Chaurasia while talking to Organiser.
Shri Nitin Gadkari said if the people of Bihar want development in the State they must give another chance to NDA in the upcoming Assembly polls. He said BJP is a mature party and it does not run after power. “The respect of the party is supreme for us and we cannot compromise over it. The BJP does not indulge in the politics based on caste, creed, language, region and religion,” he added.
The gathering cheered each and every sentence of Shri Narendra Modi. He began his speech in Bhojpuri and thanked the people of Bihar for their help during the Bhuj earthquake. He attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her silence over the real killers of Bhopal gas tragedy. “Break your silence Madam Soniaji, tell us who is real maut ka saudagar (merchant of death) in Bhopal,” he asked. Describing Bihar as a mine of talents he said there is not a single tehsil in Bihar where people of Gujarat do not live. Advocating a hardline approach in dealing with Maoists and terrorists he said those who kill innocent people should be answered in their own language. He praised Bihar Government for taking good initiatives on developmental front and said the day is not far off when the political parties in the country would be compelled to abandon vote politics and adopt development politics.
Referring to the politicisation of an advertisement Shri LK Advani said love and harmony increases by shaking hands and it cannot create any roughness in the relationship. He also stressed the need to rename Patna as Patliputra.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Smt Sushma Swaraj, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Shri Arun Jaitley, chief spokesperson Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Karnataka Chief Minister Shri BS Yeddyurappa, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Sushil Modi, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal also addressed the gathering.
