Congress flays Narendra Modi’s ‘55-hour’ fast

Senior state Congress leaders, who have been fasting for last three days, on Monday, took potshots at chief minister Narendra Modi for ending his 'Sadbhavna Mission' fast early saying the early end indicated that he was playing with people's emotions. Many national leaders of the party showed up at the fast venue opposite Sabarmati Ashram in the city on the third day of Congress fast that will end at 10 am on Tuesday.

On Day Three of Congress leaders' fast, people from across the strata continued to flow in with their representations and delegations. Congress in-charge of Gujarat at national level, Mohan Prakash, Union minister of state for road and transport, Dr Tushar Chaudhary and Congress MP from Patan, Jagadish Thakor visited the Congress' fast camp.

Mohan Prakash expressed shock over Modi's advertisement published in all states. "I was surprised seeing Modi's Sadbhavana Mission ads in newspapers in UP and Jammu in Kashmir. I don't know why the public money from the government treasury is being spent on such publicity,'' he said.

Shankersinh Vaghela, Arjun Modhwadia, Shaktisinh Gohil and Siddharth Patel criticised Modi for not keeping his word of observing a 72-hour fast and winding it up within 55 hours.
Vaghela said, "Somehow, I had the feeling that he cannot observe a 72-hour-long fast and I have been proven right. He is playing with people's emotions in his father and mother's name. He also has proven that his fast was purely political and not one for sadbhavna." 
The senior leader further said that the chief minister is politically aware and that was why he didn't wear the skullcap presented to him by a Muslim religious leader. "He had gone on fast for pampering and attracting minority," Vaghela charged.

Leader of opposition in Gujarat assembly, Shaktisinh Gohil, flayed Modi citing reports that the chief minister broke his fast early due to his father's shraadh. "How can this CM remember people's issues when he can't remember the date of his father's shraadh?" he asked.

GPCC president Arjun Modhwadia said, "The film of CM's fasting, which has been produced at the expense of Rs100 crore, has been a flop as he tried to become hero in it but ended up as a villain. The reason for ending his fast is not his father's shraadh but the fear that the increasing number of deprived people going to meet him at the GU convention hall would expose him."

Former deputy chief minister Narhari Amin also came down heavily on Modi for failing to complete 72 hours of fast. "This chief minister is a liar who ended his fast within 55 hours instead of 72. There is news that his mother reminded him that he would need to eat food of his father's shraadh rituals. However, he could have eaten a spoonful of kheer and lived up to his words by continuing the fast after that," Amin said.

Former chief minister Suresh Mehta claimed that Modi did not have any agenda for the 2012 polls and that was why he blew the verdict of Supreme Court into a drama. "Modi has got information from the IB, his party and other sources that his charm is fading and, unlike in 2002 and in 2007, he doesn't have any concrete agenda to take to the people. That's why he jumped on the Supreme Court verdict thought it hasn't given him a clean chit," Mehta said.