Narendra Modi’s reaction to Vijay Darda’s remark

Full speech of Narendra Modi at Tarun Kranti awards

By Japan K Pathak, Ahmedabad, 29 July 2012

Vijay Darda, Congress MP and Chairman & Editor-in-Chief of Maharashtra based news media group Lokmat India Limited today praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and described him as ‘lion of Gujarat’. Darda said this while sharing stage with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in an award function organized by Digambar Jain monk Tarun Sagar Maharaj in which Baba Ramdev was presented award by Shri Modi.

But even more interesting was Narendra Modi’s reaction to Darda’s remark.

“I came little late, it could be nice if I could hear Vijayji’s entire speech, but I could listen to the last portion.”

“You would think that Vijayji is from Congress, and he is in media too, and today he has titled Modi as lion(in his speech), so Modi would sleep very well tonight, but it is not so.”

“In fact, I will be sleepless tonight completely, thinking that perhaps tomorrow morning there will be a breaking news that ‘Congress high command sends notice to Vijay Darda Congress high command has taken a decision that MP like Vijay Darda has praised Modi during the election year in Gujarat, there can is indiscipline of highest level and therefore he should be removed from the party.”

“Then I thought that, Vijay Darda is in media therefore he will not be expelled. I don’t know under the veil of democracy how undemocratic actions are taken.”

What actually Darda said:

Watch the 20th minute of the video to watch what Darda said

Darda stood up to deliver his speech, and just spoke little when his speech was interrupted with Modi’s entry. A lady started singing a welcome song. Modi came to the stage and sought blessings of Tarun Sagar Maharaj, he then hugged Ramdevji Maharaj and sought his blessings. Then the welcome song ended, and Darda continued his speech. And this was what he spoke for couple of minutes.

“I know why this hulchul happened here. This(Narendra Modi) is Gujarat’s lion who roars, and who has become Gujarat’s shine and Gujarat’s identity. Today on this stage there’s not one but four saints; one is Tarun Sagar Maharaj, other is Yoga guru Ramdev Maharaj, third sant is Narendra Modiji who is a political sant, and fourth sant is me who’s speaking. I am very happy Narendra Modiji, that I have been given chance to speak on this land of Gujarat in your presence, the land of Gujarat is the land of lion hearted people, and how they host the guest is well known. ”

After the speech, Darda went to Shri Narendra Modi and hugged him. Both were speaking with each other comfortably throughout the function.

Updates:

The Congress MP clarified that he used the word ‘lion’ for Shri Modi because in Jainism whoever works hard is called lion.He said that Tarun Sagarji’s stage was not political stage.

Meanwhile Congress leader Jagdambika Pal followed what Modi predicted. Pal told a TV channel that Darda will have to explain his remark on Modi.

Further updates: Darda retracts

Congress MP Vijay Darda on Sunday night retracted from his remark praising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

“I was actually ridiculing Modi when I said ‘the lion of Gujarat’ what I actually meant was to mockingly refer to the man who has held the BJP and the RSS hostage,” Darda said.

Clarifying on sharing stage with Modi, Darda said, “There is nothing wrong in sharing a platform with Modi. It was not a political platform it was a religious one.”

Darda further said that he was the “vocal critic” of the “murder of humanity” that took place in 2002 in Gujarat and has raised his voice against the communal riots in Rajya Sabha and at other public platforms.

The MP said that he had not called Modi a “saint”, but a “political saint”. Darda, who today shared a stage with Modi in the city, called him a “tiger” of the state leaving Congress red-faced.

Gujarat Congress leader Narhari Amin said that what Darda has said was his personal opinion. “This might be the personal opinion of Darda, but the state Congress does not agree with his remark,” Amin said.

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