Modi will break Nehru's record, retain power for fourth consecutive term: Union minister Athawale

Patna: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Saturday asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will "break the record of Jawahar Lal Nehru" and retain power for the fourth consecutive term.

The Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief, who is on a three-day tour of Bihar, addressed a press conference after meeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and asserted that the JD(U) president was in "robust" health and would "stay around for at least five to ten years".

Known for speaking his mind, Athawale blamed the recent communal tension in his home state of Maharashtra on the blockbuster Chhava and called for "an end to demands for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, situated at Aurangabad".

"I am proud to be a part of the team led by Narendra Modi who has run a corruption-free government and during whose tenure we are on our way to becoming the third-largest economy in the world.

"Modi has already equalled Nehru's record by returning to power for a third consecutive term. I am confident he will break the record and enjoy a fourth consecutive term," the Rajya Sabha MP said.

The Dalit leader asserted, "As a Buddhist, I have great regard for Bihar, the land where Buddha had attained Enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago." Speaking a day after visiting Bodh Gaya, in solidarity with Buddhists demanding "full control" of the Mahabodhi Temple Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Athawale said he took up the issue with the chief minister as well.

"Bihar is the land of Emperor Asoka who disseminated the teachings of Buddha abroad. Today, Buddhists are spread across 80 countries. It is only natural for them to feel hurt that the Trust governing the temple has many members of other faiths. This is because of an Act passed by the state government way back in the 1950s," Athawale said.

"I urged Nitish ji to address the concerns of the Buddhists, who have been holding protests at Bodh Gaya for a month. I had myself met the protesters yesterday. The chief minister has instructed officials concerned to look into the matter," he added.

The 66-year-old leader was moved by the hospitality of the JD(U) supremo, whom "I have known since he was Railway Minister in the government of the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee", and claimed that he found the septuagenarian in "robust" health (tagde hain).

He said rumours of Kumar not being well, physically as well as mentally, "appear a handiwork of the RJD and the Congress" which were "worried" about the upcoming state assembly polls.

"Nitish ji is definitely healthier than (RJD president) Lalu ji. I have been friends with both. I think Nitish ji is going to be around for another five or ten years. My party may not be strong in Bihar, but I have told him I will campaign for the NDA," the RPI (A) supremo said.

Asked about the controversy over the tomb of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor, in his home state, Athawale noted, "The monument has been in Aurangabad for over 300 years. Nobody had a problem. But the way relations between him and Maratha king Sambhaji were depicted in 'Chhava', created a frenzy. I feel there must be an end to the demand for removal of the tomb and both Hindus and Muslims should live together like brothers." The Union minister also asserted that the BJP-led government at the Centre was "not against Muslims" and the community was benefiting from all the schemes "without any discrimination".

"Even the triple talaq law was brought for the benefit of Muslim women. Abrogation of Article 370 has facilitated rapid growth in Jammu and Kashmir. The 10 per cent quotas for economically weaker sections can be availed by Muslims, too," Athawale pointed out.

The Union minister also made it clear that he did not approve of "non-Muslims' inclusion in Waqf Boards", which is one of the most contentious parts of the Bill brought by the Modi government.

"Every religious community should have the freedom to manage its own affairs without interference from others. I am demanding this right for my fellow Buddhists. I support the same for Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. The majority Hindus must show the magnanimity that is expected from a big brother (bada bhai)," Athawale added.

Replying to a query, the Maharashtra politician claimed he has never supported the politics of targeting Bihari migrants, pursued by Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navanirman Sena.

He also stressed that NCP chief Ajit Pawar, who is now a deputy chief minister of the NDA-ruled Maharashtra, has received a "clean chit" in corruption cases.