Activists want Hazare to withdraw his praise for Modi. But Modi, in an open letter, lashes out at people bent on ‘vilifying’ Gujarat.
“The way the chief ministers of Gujarat and Bihar have worked in their states, this should be adopted by other chief ministers. The chief ministers of other states should also work like this,” said social activist Anna Hazare soon after he ended his fast on Sunday morning. But within 24 hours, his words created a storm in the country. While Modi baiters are asking Hazare to retract his statement which was based on incorrect facts, Narendra Modi himself has written an ‘open letter’ to the Gandhian leader thanking him for his praise.
Hazare found himself in controversy soon after he uttered the words praising the Gujarat chief minister. When it was pointed out to him that Modi was being investigated for his alleged role in the 2002 communal riots, he clarified that he had praised the CM only on the issue of development and that he strongly condemned communal politics.
But Hazare’s clarification seems to have failed in soothing ruffled feathers. Throughout the day on Sunday and then again on Monday, several activists came out in criticism of Hazare’s statement and requested him to withdraw it.
“There has been little or no rural development in the state,” said Mallika Sarabhai on Monday in a letter to Hazare. “In fact, gauchar lands and irrigated farmlands have been stealthily taken by the government and sold off at ridiculously low prices to a small club of industrialists. The poor and rural people are being sold off to Modi’s friends, the industrialists. Your endorsement is appalling and we will be forced to distance ourselves from Lokpal movement unless it [Hazare’s statement] is irrevocably retracted.”
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