Gujarat EDN
DNA 06SEP2012
TIMES
NEWS NETWORK
Ahmedabad: Chief minister Narendra Modi’s bete noire and former CM Keshubhai Patel said that Swami Vivekanda was averse to being dragged into politics. Keshubhai took a dig at Modi in his blog soon after BJP announced on Wednesday that Modi would start a month-long ‘Swami Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra’ from September 11.
Keshubhai alleged that this yatra was a BJP campaign at the expense of the state exchequer. “Vivekananda in his letter to a disciple had said that he was not a politician. He had even stated that they should stop any one from using his speeches or even mentioning him in any political event,” Keshubhai wrote in his blog.
The BJP said the yatra would start from north Gujarat’s Bechraji town. Bechraji is making headlines for the proposed Maruti Suzuki car manufacturing plant.
On 11 September, Swami Vivekananda had given historic speech in World religion conference at Chicago. Also it was the same day when Modi will strictly enforce ban on gutka in the state.
Modi’s month-long yatra will end on Jayprakash Narayan’s birth anniversary day 11 October. With the main yatra, several smaller yatras will explore the assembly seat areas. Such yatras will be led by local MPs, MLAs and office bearers.
Keshubhai said Modi is known for reaping political benefits through such yatras. In 2002, he had launched Gaurav Yatra and then it was Fagvel yatra and now it is Vivekanand Yatra.
