Jaipur, 9 January 2012

There is no doubt that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi outshined others in Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan at Jaipur today afternoon.

The joint session was participated by the Chief Ministers of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala and Jharkhand. After completion of speeches of three Chief Ministers, when Gujarat Chief Minister stood up to talk, the delegates from 60 countries welcomed him with amazing energy. Modi continued to receive applause throughout his speech. When he completed his speech, there was a spontaneous standing ovation.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Kerala CM Oman Chandi, Jharkhand CM Arjun Munda witnessed this.

Moderator of the session was Vyalar Ravi who avoided most of the question asked to him, saying that ‘don’t give suggestion, ask question’, or ‘you raise this question in separate state-wise session’ etc.

Even in question-answer round, highest questions were asked to Shri Narendra Modi.

And Gehlot left the place

During his speech, while speaking on solar power, Chief Minister Modi said in a lighter tone that as he is the guest of Shri Ashok Gehlot, how he can speak good or bad? In reaction to this, Gehlot, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan stood up and told Modi, “you can speak good and bad both kinds of things, I am going.” Gehlot and Modi shook hands exchanged smiles and Gehlot then left the place and went to receive President Pratibha Patil. It should be mentioned that earlier in his speech Gehlot had told NRI delegates that it is good that the Chief Ministers of Congress and BJP governed states are sitting together here on the issue of development of the nation.

In his speech, Modi said that Gujarat produces so much milk, that there’s perhaps no leader in Delhi who has grown up without drinking Gujarat’s milk.

Modi proposed to host Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan in Gujarat in year 2015 when Mahatma Gandhi’s India arrival would complete 100 years. Mahatma Gandhi had returned to India from South Africa on 9 January, 2015.

As Modi sought Vyalar Ravi’s consent for selecting Gujarat as a host state, Ravi remained silent. Modi then said, “You had awarded Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to Jaipur last year in New York in a minute, but why not now?” But Ravi remained quiet. A few minutes earlier Rajasthan CM Gehlot had heaped lavish praises on Ravi recalling how the latter asked him to host Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in a get-to-gather of people of Rajasthan origin in New York last year.

Ravi vented his anger at the NRIs who were keen on showering to te Gujarat Chief Minister. Ravi snapped at one of the NRIs not allowing him to speak further when the latter commented about Rajasthan needing a clone of Modi as CM.

Rajasthan Patrika coverage(Page 1)
Rajasthan Patrika coverage (Page 2)
Dainik Bhaskar Jaipur front page top story
Dainik Bhaskar Jaipur page 2

Glimpses of Modi’s main speech

Another speech delivered in state-wise session in Jaipur