Modi skips felicitation of 2 BJP MLAs booked in UP riots

BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, known for his Hindutva hardliner image, today skipped the felicitation ceremony of the two party MLAs from Uttar Pradesh who were jailed for their alleged involvement in the Muzaffarnagar riots.
BJP top leaders from the state honoured the two MLAs - Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana - at the venue of Modi's rally but the felicitation was done before the Gujarat Chief Minister's arrival. The two were presented with headgear and a shawl.
Party's state unit President Lakshmikant Bajpai played down Modi's absence.
"What if Modi was not present during the felicitation?... We had decided that when national leaders arrive, it would be a national programme while this was entirely done by the BJP state unit..." Bajpai told reporters.

Modi has been avoiding any reference to his Hindutva image since he was anointed as BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate and has tried to project himself as a development man. This is an ostensible attempt to shed his purported image of a communally polarising figure.
"The felicitation has been done after consultation with the party. This has not been been done for political gains... False FIR has been registered against them. Not one CD has been recovered. I challenge the SP to bring out one CD," Bajpai said, justifying the felicitation.

He also defended the two MLAs, who had allegedly fanned the riots that led to the killing of 48 people. The lawmakers were booked under National Security Act.

"Both the MLAs wanted to give protection to the common people. We welcomed them and just felicitated them. We want to just give the message to the people that if they face any kind of problem, BJP will be there for them and address their issues," Bajpai said.
He insisted that the party only intended to give a message to its workers through this gesture that it will stand by them whenever they face any hurdles.
BJP alleged that the Samajwadi Party government in UP is playing the politics of appeasement. The party also sought to know how felicitation of its own MLAs can be termed as appeasement.