JOIN USIn an apparent attempt to contain the damage caused by his aide Amit Shah’s “revenge” remark, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi promised people he will not do anything with “bad intent” or “for himself” if he is voted to power this Lok Sabha election.
After the launch of the BJP manifesto in the national capital, Narendra Modi said: “The party has bestowed me with certain responsibility. I want to make three promises personally – I will never be found wanting on hard work, I will not do anything for myself and I will not do anything with bad intent.”
A few days ago, BJP leader Amit Shah, a close confidant of the Gujarat chief minister, sparked a controversy after he said that the election is a time “to seek revenge for the insult and teach a lesson to those who committed injustice” during a party meeting in Uttar Pradesh, which recently witnessed large-scale violence during the Muzzafarnagar riots.
Modi seems to have made grand promises in efforts to douse the controversy surrounding the party after the remarks made by Shah, who has a case registered against him and also received a notice from the Election Commission over the issue.
Shah said he would clarify his position in a press conference after three days.
Underlining the “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” pitch in the manifesto and the party’s commitment to strive for “good governance and development”, the Gujarat chief minister asked voters to elect a strong government at the Centre so that the nation can interact with global players on equal footing and not be “stared at” by foreign countries. Modi also got a pat from his mentor and party patriarch L K Advani, who earlier had a strained relationship with the Gujarat chief minister.
Showering praise on Modi, Advani said that since the 1952 Lok Sabha elections, he had not witnessed such an “unprecedented” and “unblemished” campaign.
“I don't remember if the results of an election have been influenced so much as they have this time by the announcement of our prime ministerial candidate and the campaign which began after it,” Advani stated.
Both leaders seem to have buried the hatchet with the dawn of the general elections, Modi even accompanying Advani when he filed his nomination papers.
Talking to party workers in Gandhinagar, Modi had said: “Whatever we do for Advaniji is not enough. He has nurtured four generations of party. At every stage of my life, he has mentored me. We are fortunate that we have an opportunity to serve not only BJP but also Advaniji”.