The BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi addressed the historic Hunkaar Rally at Patna’s iconic Gandhi Maidan on the afternoon of Sunday 27th October 2013. Modi described the rally historic and one that will script a new chapter in the history of India in the years to come. Narendra Modi came down heavily against those forces who divide the nation of the lines of caste and creed and said that a poor Hindu and poor Muslim do not want to fight each other but they want to fight poverty.
Narendra Modi and other leaders at Hunkaar Rally at Patna
He also echoed the demand of the Bihar BJP for a Rs. 50,000 crore special package for Bihar and also told the people that even if the Centre does not give, it is only a matter of 200 more days when he will get the opportunity to give back the love the people have showered on him during the Hunkaar Rally. Modi categorically stated that the nation wants change and that the more the people will throw dirt on the BJP and him, the more the Lotus will shine. During his speech Narendra Modi lauded the performance of the BJP Ministers who served during the BJP-JD(U) coalition from 2005 till 2013.
Commenting on  Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he said, “The Chief Minister is my friend. People ask why did he leave BJP but I say- those who left JP, what is BJP for them! Those who consider themselves disciples of Lohia have stabbed him in the back by going by trying to get close with the Congress. JP and Lohia ji will never forgive their actions.†Modi compared the warmth displayed towards the Bihar Chief Minister on his visit to Gujarat as compared to his actions towards BJP leaders.
He said that 13 years ago the strength of the BJP was double than that of the JD(U) and other parties but the aim was to rid Bihar of Jungle Raj, which is why the BJP offered the Chief Ministry to the current Chief Minister when it was larger party. “In a week the Government fell but it was our effort to free Bihar of Jungle Raj and we accepted his leadership.†Modi also said that he withstood every possible insult only so that Jungle Raj does not return to Bihar but the intentions of the Bihar Chief Minister were never good and now his friends are telling him to join hands with the Congress so that he can become the Prime Minister. “He (the Bihar Chief Minister) has not betrayed the BJP. He has betrayed the people of Bihar. He has betrayed you all,†Modi avowed.
In his speech Modi did not even spare the Congress leaders for their misgovernance and misleading the people of India. Referring to the anger of the Congress leaders on Modi calling the Congress Vice President Shahzaada (Prince), Modi said, “If you feel bad on being called a Shahzaada then the nation also feels bad at your dynastic politics. Stop this dynastic politics and you will not be called Shahzaada.â€
The BJP’s PM candidate opined that the 4 biggest enemies of democracy are dynasty, caste politics, communal politics and opportunism and that all these evils are present in the rulers of Bihar and the UPA in the Centre. He questioned the Congress on their promise to bring prices down, failure to clean the Ganga and their inability to complete 80% of the works promised in the Common Minimum Programme. Modi questioned what the Congress leaders knew about poverty and added that they are neither bothered about the farmers nor the poor. Modi shared that coming from a poor family who experienced poverty and even sold tea in trains, he knew more about the poor than other leaders and Railway Ministers who pay lip service to the poor.
Modi also questioned the statement of a Bihar Minister that people join the army to die. The Minister had made the statement in the wake of Jawans from Bihar being beheaded by Pakistan. He came down on the Bihar Government for their failure in the 20 Point Programme and the fact that despite having a larger Muslim population, Muslims are not availing of the Haj benefit because they lack the money to do so in Bihar.
He also took on the attitude of select leaders towards Muslims and shared a vision for inclusive development of all communities. He shared that the two fastest growing districts in Gujarat, Kutch and Bharuch have significant Muslim population.
He profusely thanked the people of Bihar for the very warm welcome at the Hunkaar Rally and talked at length about the glorious culture of Bihar through history. Modi even talked in the various local languages of Bihar as the audience gave a thundering applause.
BJP National President Rajnath Singh, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad, former Minister in the Bihar Cabinet, Shahnawaz Hussain, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Dr. CP Thakur, Shatrughan Sinha were among the dignitaries present at the Hunkaar Rally.
Prior to Modi several other BJP leaders addressed the Rally. Â BJP President Rajnath Singh sharply attacked the UPA and touched on the issue of price rise. He told how the NDA rule had not let the inflation to rise. He ensured the crowd that the BJP will improve the conditions of the farmers when it comes to power. In his usual humorous manner, he told how anything on which the Prime Minister puts his hands disappears, be it potatoes, onions, coal files. He also told that BJP will be taking all the sections of the society together and will not get indulged in communal politics like Congress and JDU.
Sushil Modi, former deputy CM of Bihar also praised the enthusiasm of the crowd and said that he had seen JP and Lalu Yadav’s rally along with JDU’s rallies but this rally had broken all the records. He also said that as more than half of the people attending the rally are youth, we are convinced that youth are with the BJP.