Rajkot:
Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been depicted as Lord Krishna in a BJP advertisement published in a local newspaper in Gujarat today.
The advertisement was placed by local BJP leader Bharat Kamdar, who heads the party's branch in the Amreli district. The ad also shows Gujarat BJP President R C Faldu as Arjun and party leaders Vijay Rupani, Purshottam Rupala and I K Jadeja as the Pandavas.
The advertisement, given as part of BJP's promotion of "Kishan Yatra", has appeared in the Saurasthra edition of the vernacular daily Akila. Mr Faldu will lead a yatra that was flagged off by the Chief Minister this evening.
Seemingly unperturbed by his depiction as Lord Krishna, Mr Modi today targeted the Centre for being "insensitive" towards farmers and being "anti-Gujarat.
Mr Modi was most vocal to protest against the ban imposed by the Centre on export of cotton, which was later withdrawn. "With the ban not only the farmers of the state had to suffer heavy losses but created a shortage of cottonseed oil that led to increase in the prices of other edible oils as well" he said.
Criticising the Centre for not allowing construction of gates at Sardar Sarovar project, the Chief Minister said the UPA government chose to ignore repeated appeals made in this regard.
"If the government at Centre has any concern for farmers then it should have given permission for construction of gates at Narmada dam," he added.