Bolstered by his appointment as chief of the BJP's Election Management Committee Narendra Modi on Sunday declared war on the Congress Party and its leadership, calling on party workers to rid the country of the ruling party.
A confident and grateful Modi, while underlining the importance of work-ethics and cadre in a party set up, also said that a wave of change was about to sweep the country, inspired by the BJP foot soldiers and leadership.
Modi was addressing BJP party workers after his crucial appointment. Modi not only accused the Congress of being soft on Maoists and ignoring violence inflicted by its cadre, he also accused the ruling party of appointing Maoist sympathisers in key organisations like the Planning Commission of India and the National Advisory Council.
"This Government has degraded the Planning Commission by making a Maoist sympathizer the chairman of its committee. What kind of a Government is thisIJ How will they fight the MaoistsIJ This Government is not serious. It is taking the people for granted," Modi said, accusing the Congress of letting down the victims of Maoist violence, which includes its own cadre.
Modi said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was mum on most questions posed by him, a clear indication that the power rests not with him, but with 10 Janpath.
"A country cannot function with two centres of power," Modi said. He further said that the Congress had been toying with the country's federal structure and accused it of playing around with Article 356 of the Indian Constitution, which allows the Central Government to impose Governor's Rule in a State in case of failure of the constitutional machinery.
"Delhi is not accepting the federal structure... They are not giving any State an opportunity to perform," Modi said.
The Gujarat CM further said that the youth in India needed to be given direction, especially at a time when hundreds and thousands of youngsters in the national Capital had to repeatedly march to Jantar Mantar to protest against the wrongs committed by the Central Government.
"For our future, it is necessary that the youth are given direction. If the Government feels that the youth are a burden, then who will change the fortune of this countryIJ It is our responsibility to save the country from such a Government," Modi said, trying to inspire the party cadre to be a part of this change.
"There are many workers in the party, whose names will never come in the newspapers or on television. There are workers who have dedicated their life to the party and many generations have served the party," Modi said.
"Political life is a medium to serve the people, we need to win and come to power so that we can change the system," he further exhorted, adding that the country had lost faith in the ruling Congress.
A "Congress bhagao" campaign was a call of the moment he said and added that "Congress mukt Bharat ka nirmaan karna hai." Modi also said that Goa has a special place in his life as the coastal State has always brought him luck.
"Goa has a special place in my life. The papers also say that Goa is lucky for Modi. This is the same Goa which in 2002, gave me the permission to serve Gujarat," Modi said, recalling the 2002 BJP National Executive meeting, which had served as a political springboard for his success.
The 2002 meet had been held against the backdrop of the post-Godhra riots and Modi, was under fire from both the Opposition as well as a section within the BJP, which wanted him to quit the Chief Minister's post. It was party stalwart lK Advani's decision to back him at that time that helped Modi retain his chair, a fact he never fails to acknowledge, even now.
"If Goa had not given me the permission I would not have been able to serve in Gujarat. Goa has given me blessings," he said, adding that Rajnath Singh's decision to appoint him as the head of the Election Management Committee would yield "positive results."
Modi praised party chief Rajnath Singh who said the Gujarat Chief Minister should deliver his address after him as "a popular leader must speak at the end."
"I am very grateful to party President Rajnath Singh for not only giving me a new responsibility, but also giving me respect in front of party workers and the people of the country," were Modi's first comments after being appointed as the BJP's Campaign Committee Chairman.
"Rajnathji stood up to speak and asked me to sit. It is difficult for those outside to understand the importance of this. A person does not do so only by having a post but by having a heart. This is called 'daria dili' (large heartedness), which the President has shown," Modi said. At the same time, he said his political career has been "moulded" by senior party leaders, who spent more time with him than with their own families.
Earlier, Singh said his decision to make Modi the campaign committee chief was "not for the party but for the country." He said he had no hesitation in taking this significant decision as this was "well deserved."