lavishing praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat credited him for walking the talk for the last 70 years. He was speaking at a book release function here on Wednesday.
The book on the life of Modi, titled Narendra Damodardas Modi: The Making of a legend, was unveiled in Delhi in the presence of Bhagwat and Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah. The book, penned by Bindeshwar Pathak, a Padma Bhushan recipient known for work in Sanitation (founder of Sulabh International), is all about Modi and the journey of his life.
Heaping praise on Modi, the RSS chief said he still follows the same lifestyle of an RSS worker that he was before becoming the Gujarat Chief Minister and later India PM.
He said India has a lot of hope from Modi. "What should be done has been discussed in the country for the last 70 years. But it is happening now. WhyIJ Because it is being done now," he said.
On the occasion, BJP president Amit Shah lashed out at economic pundits for alleging 'jobless growth' under the Modi Government. Shah said 7.28 crore youths were provided self-employment in last three years under the Centre's Mudra loan scheme.
"A country with a population of 125 crore cannot deal with the problem of unemployment by only creating jobs," Shah said on the occasion adding that the Government had provided opportunities to "the last man in the queue to lift himself out of poverty."
Shah said many Prime Ministers who spoke about development and the poor had come and gone but it was left to Modi to build toilets, open bank accounts and provide the poor other basic facilities.
Shah also expressed his disagreement with the use of the word "legend" in the book's title for Modi, and said it was not an appropriate choice of word for a man who had worked in a "natural and simple manner" like a 'karyakarta'.
"Society has got a good and able 'thekedar' (contractor) in Narendra bhai for its welfare but the danger is that people will leave everything to him and go to sleep. It should not happen. Books (on him) should help people develop attributes like him," he said, referring to Modi.
Bhagwat said people need to understand Modi's personality closely, "Today we are looking at Narendra bhai because of his personality, actions and leadership. We need to read this character closely. When we talk of talk of a personality, one is what we see and the other that needs to be seen, with open eyes. A person is more accomplished when there is no difference in the way he appears to be and the way he is."
Bhagwat credited Modi's 'aprasiddh' (not famous) stint with the Hindutva organisation for his "bright" journey as Gujarat Chief Minister and then the Prime Minister.
If Modi had continued working within the RSS, few outside the organisation would have known him, he said.
"But if we give it some thought, we will realise that it was his 'aprasiddh' (not famous) journey till he became the Chief Minister that led to such brightness (ujjwal) surrounding his journey as Chief Minister and Prime Minister," he said.
As a 'karyakarta' and 'swayamsevak' (volunteer) Modi remains the same person he was before becoming the Gujarat Chief Minister, and publicity and fame have not impacted him, the RSS chief said.
He said the Prime Minister had attributes like hard work, courage, patience, wisdom, strength and valour but what is more is that he would consider no work impossible and do what was needed.
"Though it is natural to focus on Modi's personality but people should go beyond it...They should also focus on the work that goes into making of successful people," he said, asking them to know why Modi's leadership became "a ray of hope" for the country.