In Shivraj Chouhan's Eid gesture, some see a march over Narendra Modi

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan greeted the Muslims of his state on Eid wearing a skull cap. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader, who is 54-years-old, has made it a tradition during his three consecutive terms in office to visit a local mosque in the state capital of Bhopal every year for the festival. He then makes a short speech at a stage set up there.

Mr Chouhan, along with other politicians from the BJP and the Congress from a stage outside the masjid wish the people on Eid when they come out of the masjid after the namaaz. The Chief Minister also makes a short speech on the occasion.

Mr Chouhan's gesture may not be new, but it commissions significance in a year when his colleague, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, is gearing up for the party's prime ministerial nomination.

Mr Modi, who is the chief minister of Gujarat, refused to put on a skull cap as urged by a Muslim leader at a public function in his state two years ago, fuelling criticism that he was not a secular leader.

Mr Modi's detractors accuse him of not doing enough to protect hundreds of Muslims from being killed during the Gujarat riots of 2002. He said recently in an interview that he believed he did everything he could to check the violence that lacerated his state.

Film actor Raza Murad, who was present at the Bhopal event presided over by Mr Chouhan, said, "It is a time that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi learn some things from Mr Chouhan."

The BJP disagreed, with spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi chiding the actor as "a reel-life villain discussing a real-life hero".

Party Vice President Uma Bharti went to the extent of calling Mr Chouhan's gesture "cheap".

"There is no need for Hindus to wear cap on the occasion of Eid and for Muslims to don saffron colours to greet Hindus on Diwali since the national tricolour is enough to unite all citizens," she said (Read).

In recent months, a group of big-hitters within the BJP led by LK Advani have tried, unsuccessfully, to project Mr Chouhan as a national-level leader in an alleged campaign to check Mr Modi's ascension within the party.

In June, Mr Advani controversially declared that Mr Chouhan's development of Madhya Pradesh was a larger accomplishment than the economic development of Gujarat that serves as Mr Modi's calling card.
 
Mr Chouhan has, however, said that he does not see himself in the same league as Mr Modi, who he has described as "an older brother". He has also said that he has no prime ministerial aspirations.