Sushma to attend Modi fast on final day Monday
September 19th, 2011 - 3:22 pm ICT by IANS
Ahmedabad, Sep 19 (IANS) Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, will be among the top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to be present on the third and final day of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s fast here Monday.
Modi has been fasting since Saturday on a goodwill mission, seeking peace and social harmony.
Maharastra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray greeted Modi at the fast venure earlier in the day.
Small groups of victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots held protests in the city Monday. The action follows the detention of several activists and protestors the previous day.
While the BJP has hailed the fast by Modi, rival parties like the Congress and the Left have criticised it.
Even the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) — a key constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and partner with BJP in the ruling alliance in Bihar — has been critical, largely because they fear the fast is an attempt to forklift Modi as a prime ministerial candidate in 2014.
In a big embarrassment to the BJP, JD-U spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari told reporters in New Delhi Sunday: “Modi has failed to discharge ‘raj dharma’ (state responsibility) in Gujarat.”
Top BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani and leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, and Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, of the Akali Dal, were among those present when Modi began his fast at the university convention hall here Saturday.
- Bihar's ruling JD-U is against Modi for PM's post - Sep 18, 2011
- War rages in Bihar between BJP, JD-U (Bihar Newsletter) - Jun 23, 2012
- BJP core group to meet today, allies divided over presidency (Lead) - Jun 16, 2012
- BJP will not encourage desertions from JD-U in Bihar: Modi - Jul 10, 2012
- BJP, JD-U to meet on presidential candidate - May 02, 2012
- Another JD-U leader calls for snapping ties with BJP - Sep 18, 2010
- NDA defers decision on presidential polls (Second Lead) - Jun 17, 2012
- NDA fails to decide on presidential poll (Lead) - Jun 17, 2012
- JD-U 'rethink' on alliance will only help Lalu, says BJP - Sep 14, 2010
- Divided BJP discusses option of backing Sangma - Jun 17, 2012
- Bihar politicians slam Uddhav Thackeray - Sep 04, 2012
- Sangma to canvass in Bihar July 14 - Jul 10, 2012
- RJD hits out at Nitish for Modi handshake - May 05, 2012
- BJP writes to Gadkari on JD-U's cross-voting - Jun 18, 2010
- BJP discusses Sangma, says aims bigger than presidential poll (Lead) - Jun 17, 2012
Tags: arun jaitley, bjp leaders, goodwill mission, l k advani, leader of opposition, Lok Sabha, narendra modi, national democratic alliance, prakash singh badal, prime ministerial candidate, punjab chief minister, raj thackeray, rajya sabha, rival parties, seeking peace, shivanand, social harmony, state responsibility, sushma swaraj, venure