Vote out unpatriotic UPA for a strong India, urges Modi

Vote out unpatriotic UPA for a strong India, urges Modi 
Source-http://www.firstpost.com/politics/vote-out-unpatriotic-upa-for-a-strong-india-urges-modi-1110351.html

 The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi played to the gallery during his first speech after his candidature was declared for the country’s top job, telling the thousands gathered to attend his rally in Rewari,  Haryana, that serious challenges including the border dispute with China and the cross-border terrorism are not problems limited to the border regions but a sign of weakness in New Delhi. During a speech that lasted a little over an hour, the chief minister of Gujarat touched upon a complex subject once, that of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, but stopped short of sharing his thoughts on possible solutions. “Pakistan now has a democratic government and it was hoped that they would walk on the path of peace. But the way our soldiers were killed, it doesn’t look like Pakistan wants peace,” says Modi. “I want to tell my friends in Pakistan that terrorism has not helped anyone in 60 years… Cross-border terrorism won’t help Pakistan, India or Bangladesh,” he said, adding that Pakistan and India should poverty, illiteracy, backwardness together. On the border disputes with China, Modi said the problem is not with the border but with Delhi. “We need to change the government at Delhi. We need a patriotic government at Delhi to ensure the safety of our soldiers. More soldiers have died to terrorists and Maoists in India.” Addressing a rally of ex-servicemen, Modi spoke at length about his respect for the Army and its personnel, describing the efforts of men in uniform during the post-earthquake rehabilitation initiative in 2001, his innovative way of using men in service to stop electricity theft in Gujarat and how as a child he had been heartbroken on being denied the chance to study in a Sainik school. “The insults meted out to soldiers has meant that youngsters today don’t want to join the Army. We need to change that,” he said. Then, a warning: “Cyber-war hone wale hain,” says Modi. “We will need soldiers and youth who can participate in this new age war. The Delhi government will have to be prepared for this.” On Sunday, he delivered a speech tailor-made for his audience. AFP Later, he said if people want “a strong India, a strong government at the Centre”, they should ensure that everybody above the age of 18 is registered to vote and exercises his franchise. He also  proposed a “statue of Unity’ commemorating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one that would be twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty and built with contributions of iron from the implements  of farmers across the country. In a speech tailor made for his audience, he also proposed a white paper on the One Rank One Pension idea for soldiers, jobs as firemen for ex-servicemen and more. “The Delhi government has no new thinking,” he lamented. He accused the UPA of indulging in vote-bank politics. “If these s0-called secular leaders want to learn secularism, they should learn from our soldiers, who work together for our nation,” he said, to roars of appreciation from the crowd

Narendra Modi says politicians should take lessons in secularism from Army

Source-http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/narendra-modi-says-politicians-should-take-lessons-in-secularism-from-army-418938?pfr

Rewari: Narendra Modi today said the politicians should learn a lesson in secularism from the Indian armed forces. 

The Gujarat Chief Minister, whose detractors often question his secular credentials, said, "Vote bank politics in India has become disgusting. I would like to tell the politicians who want to divide India into small groups...there is no bigger example of secularism than the armed forces." (Highlights of the speech)

Mr Modi was making his first pitch for a Delhi posting after being named the BJP's presumptive Prime Minister for 2014 on Friday, speaking at a rally largely of ex-serviceman in Rewari, Haryana. A huge photograph of Mr Modi and the Indian parliament formed the backdrop of the stage.

He attacked the Congress-led UPA government for its handling of security issues such as incursions by China and the killing of Indian jawans at the border and repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan, saying, "The problem is not at the border, the problem is in Delhi and so the solution must come from Delhi too."

The BJP leader asked Pakistan to stop waging war against India with cross-border terrorism and exhorted it to join a fight against poverty, the biggest battle of all, he said. 

Mr Modi played to his 1.5 lakh strong audience, which chanted his name, right through his 65-minute speech, punctuated only by the many glasses of water he stopped to drink on the hot September afternoon. (Modi's political journey from RSS worker to PM candidate)

He repeatedly saluted Indian soldiers, peppering his address with anecdotes, and the crowd, many people precariously perched on poles, roared in approval when he confided that he was more excited about being amid soldiers today than he was on Friday when his party announced him its candidate for PM. 

He promised that he would demand a white paper from the Centre on "one rank, one pension," a key demand of ex-servicemen. 
  
Rewari, about 90 km from national capital Delhi, is home to thousands of serving and retired soldiers. Mr Modi today shared the stage with former Army chief, General (retd) VK Singh, who has recently been very actively involved in Gandhian Anna Hazare's anti-corruption crusade. He has also been leading a campaign for better benefits for ex-servicemen.
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