'Authorised’ book on Modi credits him for making Gujarat riot-free
An ‘authorised’ biography on Prime Minister Narendra Modi has credited the former Gujarat chief minister of making the state riot-free.
An ‘authorised’ biography on Prime Minister Narendra Modi has credited the former Gujarat chief minister of making the state riot-free.
“Gujarat had been known for riots for the past 300 years. The first riot in Ahmedabad took place as far back as 1713; in the past 35 years there have been 979 riots…..today, Gujarat is fully free from riots,” Kishor Makwana, the author of Modi — Common man’s PM, said at the book launch function in New Delhi.
The book was released by home minister Rajnath Singh and BJP chief Amit Shah on Monday, with the publisher describing it as the ‘authorised biography’ in the presence of the two senior leaders. Read | Teesta Setalvad accuses Modi govt of 'vendetta' to silence her
They also released three other books — Jyotipunj’, ‘Social Harmony’ and ‘Sakshibhav’ — authored by the Prime Minister himself.
Calling Modi the real “common man”, Singh said the Prime Minister has made a ‘solid opening’ and the ‘final scorecard’ after five years would be equally spectacular. “Peaceful co-existence and social harmony are not only ingrained in India but also in NDA. One may ask how these two qualities are in the DNA of NDA. It is proved... Social harmony and peaceful co-existence are our commitment not our compulsion,” Singh said.
Amit Shah — a long time aide of the Prime Minister from his Gujarat days — said many people outside the state had serious doubts about Modi’s success as chief minister, since he had not contested even a panchayat level election before. “But the fragrance of good governance he delivered in Gujarat spread across the country within years. So much so, that by 2013 people started seeing him as the only ray of hope,” Shah said.Read | Shouldn't those who killed people in riots get death: Owaisi
In the PM’s biography, Makwana quotes Modi as telling him in an interview that when Vajpayee called him to convey the decision about his new role — as chief minister of Gujarat — the then Prime Minister said, “You (Modi) have grown fat eating Punjabi food. You need to slim down. Go, go from here, vacate Delhi.”
Modi was BJP’s general secretary (organization) then. Modi was quoted as saying in his biography that he loved sad song and Kishore Kumar’s “Kuch to log kahenge” was his favourite.
In Sakshibhav — compilation of Modi’s personal diary noting — he has penned his emotions at various stages of his life — from over 30 years back. Modi was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak then and even penned poetry on Sangh’s decision to send him to the BJP in 1986.Read | Gujarat HC begins final hearing in Naroda Patiya riot case