Absent Narendra Modi stays present in the barbs of netas at NIC, Narendra Modi, modi news, NIC, BJP, NDA, latest news ,political news update, Indian politics.

Absent Narendra Modi stays present in the barbs of netas at NIC.

NEW DELHI: The absence of Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi from the National Integration Council (NIC) meeting on Monday became the focal point with political leaders and the Home Minister openly taking digs at Modi for skipping the meet.

Singling out Modi though nearly a dozen Chief Ministers, including most from non-Congress ruled states, skipped the meeting, Shinde said "it was the first duty" of Modi to attend the meeting on communal harmony.

"Modi had sent a message that he is busy...but I feel that as a Chief Minister, it was his first duty to attend this meeting. Law and order is a state responsibility and this meeting was being held after two years. It was very important, especially for a leader like him (Modi), to have come to this meeting. The attendance of CMs is important as they contribute and give suggestions at the meet," Shinde said, pointing out that CMs from 16 states had attended the meeting.

Modi has so far assiduously avoided commenting on the communal riots in Muzzafarnagar in whose light the NIC conference was called. Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Manish Tewari also took a swipe at Modi for skipping the conference.

"The expectation is that if someone believes in or has conviction in communal harmony and national integrity, he will come to this meeting to express solidarity and lend his voice to the cause of protecting communal harmony. Why a particular individual (Modi) did not come, he should answer," Tiwari said. RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav said Modi did not turn up deliberately. "Modi knew that he would be criticized at the meeting. He will never become the Prime Minister. Amit Shah who is the second in command and general manager of Gujarat riots has now reached Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Muzzafarnagar is just the beginning...they (BJP) will create much more communal tension," Yadav said. Apart from Modi, Jayalalithaa, Mamata Bannerji, Prakash Singh Badal, Raman Singh and Naveen Patnaik were the other CMs who did not turn up.

Chief Ministers like Akhilesh Yadav and Nitish Kumar meanwhile took on right-wing groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for stoking communal fire ahead of the 2014 elections with the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister listing out a series of recent incidents in the state where he alleged that "certain prominent political parties" had tried to ignite communal tension for political gains.

Kumar said the frequency of religious processions in the name of yatras or parikramas was unwarranted leading to stirring up of communal passions. "Religions, which is largely a private affair practiced inside closed premises, is more and more becoming occasions for public show of strength," Kumar said.

Lalu Prasad Yadav meanwhile openly warned that he was seeing complete polarization of the country ahead of the 2014 elections and said this could lead to "India's disintegration." J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took on the BJP for terming Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who went to Muzzafarnagar as 'secular tourists'.

"If people visiting Muzzfarnagar were secular tourists, should I call those who wanted to go to Kishtwar as communal tourists?" Abdullah asked. Noted lawyer Fali Nariman advised politicians to practice before they preach, saying they first need to control their inflammatory speeches.

source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

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