Patna: Six days after the serial blasts at his 'Hunkar Rally' in Patna claimed as many lives, Narendra Modi was back in Bihar to visit the families of the dead across the state, a visit described by the BJP as a highly-emotional moment while arch rival the Janata Dal (United) or JD-U slammed it, calling it a political gimmick.
"I came to share the pain of the kin of the blast victims. The courage that Bihar people have shown on that day is surprising. Even when there were blasts all around, they stayed together," Mr Modi said after returning to Patna. He refused to take any questions on his controversial Sunday rally or the visit today.
Mr Modi's chopper could not land in a few places due to bad weather, but he made up for that by speaking to them over the phone. He also handed out a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to each of the six families.
Meanwhile, politics over the blast victims intensified. In another apparent dig at his Gujarat counterpart, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, without naming Mr Modi, said, "The broom that has been bought (on Dhanteras festival) will be used to clean up all the dirt that has come from all the directions." The JD-U leader ended his 17-year-long alliance with the BJP in June over Mr Modi's elevation within his party.
"This is not a 100 meter race. Narendra Modi must understand this. This is a semi-marathon, if not a marathon. There are still five months left and if he continues to remain in such a hurry, then I feel he might fall and get hurt," JD-U spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari said.
Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad countered by saying, "The visit shows the affection of the people towards him... This is very emotional."
The Bihar unit of the BJP, which has taken out a procession with the remains of the six victims, plans to immerse their ashes in the river Ganga on Tuesday.
"I came to share the pain of the kin of the blast victims. The courage that Bihar people have shown on that day is surprising. Even when there were blasts all around, they stayed together," Mr Modi said after returning to Patna. He refused to take any questions on his controversial Sunday rally or the visit today.
Meanwhile, politics over the blast victims intensified. In another apparent dig at his Gujarat counterpart, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, without naming Mr Modi, said, "The broom that has been bought (on Dhanteras festival) will be used to clean up all the dirt that has come from all the directions." The JD-U leader ended his 17-year-long alliance with the BJP in June over Mr Modi's elevation within his party.
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Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad countered by saying, "The visit shows the affection of the people towards him... This is very emotional."
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