Remaining confident in the lead up to the 2014 General Elections, former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said that because the Congress was 'afraid' of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, they are making repeated baseless allegations and statements against him.
"Congress leaders are afraid of Narendra Modi. Because of this fear, the Congress is making baseless claims and allegations against Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The more the Congress speaks against Modi, the more it proves their fear, which is making them make these statements," Gadkari said.
Rubbishing the constant communal allegations made by the Congress against Modi, Gadkari said that he is confident the people would be able to separate fact from fiction in the matter.
"I think that Modi is not communal or racist, instead he is the model of development, which he has shown in his good work in Gujarat. The whole nation and the whole world accepts him," Gadkari said.
"No matter how much the Congress tries to spread these wrong rumours about Modi, the people of this country know the truth and, thus, it will not have any impact," he added.
Gadkari also said the BJP was 'clear' about its Prime Ministerial candidate, rejecting reports of an internal divide on the matter within the party.
Echoing a similar sentiment of Modi's victimization, on Friday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh said the criticism of Modi has increased after he was made the party's campaign committee chief, and added that such attacks by the political opponents would increase in the days to come.
"Narendra Modi is a very popular CM and he is being attacked...These attacks have increased after he was chosen election campaign committee chief and we fear more such attacks in the future," Singh said.
Singh's comments came five days after suspended IPS officer DG Vanzara, who is in jail for a string of alleged fake encounters, said the Narendra Modi Government in Gujarat had sanctioned the shootings and then abandoned the policemen when they were arrested on charges of murder.
As the 2014 Lok Sabha elections draw closer, reports suggest that the BJP is likely to announce Modi as their Prime Ministerial candidate as early as next week.
Reports have suggested that BJP president Rajnath Singh, who held back the announcement in the hope of achieving unanimity on Modi, has decided to go ahead despite continuing reservations from a couple of senior leaders.
Singh conveyed his readiness to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday, and followed that up by apprising former party chief Murli Manohar Joshi of the same on Thursday.
However, reports state that BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj continue to have misgivings about the desirability of anointing Modi at this juncture.
According to sources, the BJP-RSS Coordination would meet on Sunday in Delhi.
