Narendra Modi during his rally in Pune
Pune:
Narendra Modi, the BJP's candidate for prime minister, said at an election rally today, "I will live for you and if need be, I will die for you."
Mr Modi's remarks come days after Rahul Gandhi, whose grandmother and father were both assassinated while they were prime minister, warned that he too could be slain, as he accused the BJP of sparking "communal fire."
"My grandmother and father were assassinated and tomorrow I also may get killed; but I just don't care," the 43-year-old had said last month while campaigning in Rajasthan, one of five states that will choose its next government soon.
The BJP at that time had issued a sharp rebuttal. 'If the Congress's Yuvraj (young prince) is so scared, he should get more security. Don't cry in front of citizens," party chief Rajnath Singh had said.
Unlike the BJP, the Congress has not declared its candidate for the country's top job. Party leaders and even the Prime Minister have said they would be happy if Mr Gandhi , who is no 2 in the Congress after his mother Sonia, accepts the Congress nomination for prime minister . But Mr Gandhi, who is a parliamentarian has so far been non-committal about what role he may play should the Congress win a third successive term in power.
Mr Modi's security has been upgraded this week after a series of bomb blasts targeted a rally he held in Patna last Sunday. He was unharmed, but six people were killed and 83 injured.
The commandos of the National Security Guard protect Mr Modi along with the Gujarat police. The union home ministry has now said that the 64-year-old, who is serving a fourth term as the chief minister of Gujarat, will now get special attention with his travel and meetings being carefully coordinated between the state he is visiting, his own security, and central intelligence agencies.
Mr Modi's remarks come days after Rahul Gandhi, whose grandmother and father were both assassinated while they were prime minister, warned that he too could be slain, as he accused the BJP of sparking "communal fire."
"My grandmother and father were assassinated and tomorrow I also may get killed; but I just don't care," the 43-year-old had said last month while campaigning in Rajasthan, one of five states that will choose its next government soon.
The BJP at that time had issued a sharp rebuttal. 'If the Congress's Yuvraj (young prince) is so scared, he should get more security. Don't cry in front of citizens," party chief Rajnath Singh had said.
Unlike the BJP, the Congress has not declared its candidate for the country's top job. Party leaders and even the Prime Minister have said they would be happy if Mr Gandhi , who is no 2 in the Congress after his mother Sonia, accepts the Congress nomination for prime minister . But Mr Gandhi, who is a parliamentarian has so far been non-committal about what role he may play should the Congress win a third successive term in power.
Mr Modi's security has been upgraded this week after a series of bomb blasts targeted a rally he held in Patna last Sunday. He was unharmed, but six people were killed and 83 injured.
The commandos of the National Security Guard protect Mr Modi along with the Gujarat police. The union home ministry has now said that the 64-year-old, who is serving a fourth term as the chief minister of Gujarat, will now get special attention with his travel and meetings being carefully coordinated between the state he is visiting, his own security, and central intelligence agencies.
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