Modi kicks off BJP’s southern campaign

• He calls upon non-Cong parties to join hands

• He particularly woos Telugu Desam, its former ally

• Says best homage to NTR would be to dislodge UPA • Exhorts for a ‘Cong-free environment’ in country

Hyderabad: The BJP launched its southern election campaign from Hyderabad on Sunday. Gujarat CM Narendra Modi who has been tasked with the responsibility of spearheading the campaign called upon all the non-Congress parties to come together and dislodge the Congress government.

Modi in a strategic move showered praises on the TDP founder president N T Rama Rao and said the best homage to NTR would be dislodging the UPA government and put an end to the dynastic rule. Modi also made an attempt to woo the TDP which was once its ally by saying that TDP which had inherited the legacy of late N T Rama Rao, a former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, should see that the government at the Centre be made Congress-free. "Congress party is a burden on this nation. Today, I want to remember NTR when I come here. NTR did service not only to Andhra but the whole of India when he gave boost to anti- Congress politics. It was NTR's efforts that paved the way for formation of a non-Congress government at the Centre,” Modi said.

In a spirited speech, Modi said, "All those who claim NTR's legacy, their first duty is to do everything to bring a non-Congress government. It should be their duty to do everything in this regard. I am confident that Andhra Pradesh's political parties will not leave any stone unturned to bring a non-Congress government and end this dynastic rule," he said.

Referring specifically to TDP he said it had inherited NTR's legacy and hence it was their duty to see that NTRs dreams were fulfilled. "Desh mein Congress mukt bharat ki hawa ban chuki hai (An atmosphere has been created for a Congress-free India)," Modi said.

Cong gave no direction to youth

Hyderabad: Gujarat CM Narendra Modi has expressed serious concern over lack of direction for the youth in the country. Addressing party youth, he said about 65 per cent of the total population in the country are youth. But the failure of the centre to provide adequate employment opportunities had forced them to go to Gulf countries for small time jobs. This kind of lack of vision has left many Indians in Gulf in lurch and was suffering a lot. He felt that all state government’s particularly Andhra Pradesh should take up employment generation schemes to prevent them from going to Gulf.

Criticises Omar for detaining Jaitley

Hyderabad: Modi was also highly critical of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for detaining BJP leader Arun Jaitley at airport and preventing him from visiting riots-hit Kishtwar and said it smacks of an attempt to "hide" the "tale of a crime" that has happened there.

lambasts UPA over national security

“When the Indian jawans were beheaded, the Prime Minister had said that Pakistan would be accounted for it. Now when the Pakistani Army, this week, shot dead our jawans… I want to ask the Prime Minister… What is the protocol with those who behead our soldiers?

Hyderabad: the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi blew the election bugle by slamming UPA government and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over Government's Pakistan policy in the wake of the LoC attack, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday alleged that national security is being ignored due to "vote bank politics".

Speaking at Nava Bharat Yuva Bharat Yuva Bheri at L B Stadium here on Sunday, Modi said: "This government of Delhi cannot provide security to the nation. This government, is neck deep in vote bank politics. When the Indian jawans were beheaded, the Prime Minister had said that Pakistan will be accounted for it. Now when the Pakistani Army, this week, shot dead our jawans, I want to ask the Prime Minister...He had made the promise that we will not tolerate such things. What is the reason that a country of 125 crore is silently tolerating when Pakistan is going back on its promise one by one?"

In the LoC attack in Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir early this month specialised troops of Pakistan killed five jawans. “What is the protocol with those who behead our soldiers?," he asked. Making a scathing attack against the UPA government, Modi alleged that the jawans of Indian Army deployed on the Bangladesh border have been asked not to use weapons even if there was an assault from the other side.

Raising the issue of Chinese incursion, the Gujarat Chief Minister lashed at External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid for his remarks on his visit to Beijing. "Shame, Shame Shame on You. Shame on You, who are running the government of India. You are spraying acid on the wounds of 125 crore Indians...," he said. After his visit to Beijing recently, Khurshid said he would "love to live in Beijing."

Modi invokes Patel to rouse Hyderabadis

Hyderabad: Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the fate of Hyderabad state would have definitely been uncertain if the then Deputy Prime minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel did not order military action -‘Operation Polo’ against Nizam rule to free the state from the tyranny in 1948.

Unveiling the statue of Patel on the premises of Keshav Memorial Education Society here on Sunday, he said after a stalemate in negotiations between Nizam and Independent India on the merger of Hyderabad, Patel had taken the opportunity of the foreign visit of the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru and swooped on Nizam State. Patel’s grit and conviction for the unity and integration of the country after it attained independence made him a towering personality in the history of India.

Showering praises on Patel, Modi said Kashmir crisis would also have been solved had Nehru delegated powers to the ‘Iron Man,’ who was given responsibility to integrate the country by merging all princely states in the country after independence.

TDP hails Modi remarks, but silent on tie-up

Hyderabad: The TDP welcomed the remarks of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on the role played by N T Rama Rao in dethroning the Congress government both in the State and at Centre, but said that it had not given a thought to his offer of friendship. Talking to media on Sunday evening, TDP politburo member Y Ramakrishnudu said that they had also taken note of the offer made by Modi at the public meeting but there had been no discussion on this issue whatsoever.

He and other leaders like S Chandramohan Reddy and E Dayakar Rao felt that Modi had quoted NTR only to emphasize on the need to throw the Congress government out both in the state and at Centre. “This does not mean that there were any talks between TDP and BJP or that there would be any alliance.” Dayakar Rao felt that alliance with BJP could harm their image and cause a dent in the votes of Muslims.

Modi urges cadres to reach out to people

Hyderabad: If the overwhelming response received for Navabharat Yuva Bheri rally in Hyderabad is of any indication, people in the country especially youth and women are looking for an alternative to UPA, observed Narendra Modi, BJP election campaign committee chairman.

Addressing the state office-bearers at a city hotel late on Sunday evening he said that it was high time for the BJP cadres to reach out to the sections which were looking towards BJP with hope and to get them all enrolled into the party fold. The success of the party would depend more on the success of the cadre in consolidating the party support base at the booth level. This had been the success mantra for the saffron party in Gujarat too, he felt.

Modi made it clear that no single leader including himself could fetch votes for the party. BJP activists should work in cohesion and greater unity to forge better relations with all sections of the people. Once the BJP emerged as a reckoning force even in States like Andhra Pradesh where it is yet to gain firm foothold other parties would look at us to sail together to face major challenges, Modi said. He congratulated the state unit for successfully organizing Navabharath Yuva Bheri meeting.

Make use of social media’

Narendra Modi, who is quite active on social media platforms, has advised Andhra Pradesh BJP leaders to make the best of this powerful medium to reach out to people. Modi told party office-bearers that social media helps in communicating with a large section of people, especially the youth, BJP sources said. Modi, known for his tech-savvy image, became first Indian political leader last year to interact with netizens through live video-chat on 'Google+ Hangout'. Earlier this year, Modi had addressed Gujarati community living in 20 cities across the US through video link.

Modi has stature of Sardar Patel: Chouhan

Hyderabad: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan has compared Gujarat CM Narendra Modi to Sardar Patel, popularly known as the Iron Man of India. "The stature and work of Narender Modi can only be compared with Sardar Patel," he has tweeted thus. Coming as it did on the eve of Modi’s public meeting in Hyderabad, it assumes very significance with some in the party pitting Chouhan against Modi for the coveted role of party’s PM candidate for the 2014 general elections.

Raza Murad, a Bollywood actor, was recently all praise for Chouhan for wearing skull cap during the Eid. This further boosted the argument of Modi's detractors who worry about polarisation of votes on communal lines. Party’s senior leader L K Advani himself often tried to draw a parallel between Modi and Chouhan. He observed that the growth story of Madhya Pradesh outshines that of Gujarat. Chouhan who had kept mum on attempts to project him on a par with Modi seemed to have changed his mind in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in his State.