Bengaluru: Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu once again dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “God’s gift to serve the poor people of India” and “a messiah of the poor.”
In his inaugural address to the BJP state executive meeting here on Friday, Mr Naidu repeatedly described the Prime Minister as the messiah of the poor. It may recalled that recently, RSS leaders had expressed displeasure over the remarks made by Mr Naidu describing Modi as the messiah of the poor. The Sangh had suggested that the BJP leadership not encourage ‘individual worship’ as the organisation is supreme in the RSS.
However, Mr Naidu defended his statement, "The RSS has not said anything, senior RSS Pracharak Krishna Gopal was with me when I was praising Mr Modi. The RSS displeasure against me is false news, in fact I have echoed the sentiments of crores of people in India, they described Modi as the messiah of the poor,” Mr Naidu told DC.
When asked about the RSS mantra that the organization is above the individual, Mr. Naidu replied that India is bigger than any party and nationalism is bigger than the party.
Miffed BSY stays away from BJP meet
The absence of former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa at the BJP state executive meeting did not go unnoticed. The Lingayat strongmen was reportedly miffed at being invited as a “guest” and deliberately stayed away to demonstrate his displeasure.
Present at the meeting were Union ministers Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar, and D.V .Sadananda Gowda, Karnataka in-charge Murulidhar Rao, State unit president Prahlad Joshi, former CM Jagadish Shettar, and former DCMs R. Ashok and K.S. Eshwarappa.
But Mr Yeddyurappa’s absence was duly noted and cast a long shadow over the meeting. According to party sources, he was upset as he was not one of the main speakers and only categorised as a guest, although he is the vice-president of the party.
“He feels he should have been asked to address either the inaugural or valedictory functions of the state executive,” sources added. While Mr. Naidu and Mr Joshi spoke at the inaugural, Mr Rao addressed the office bearers at the valedictory. Accusing his rivals in the party of trying to belittle him, loyalists of the former CM insisted he must be given his due at party meetings.
The BJPis, however, trying to downplay Mr Yeddyurappa’s absence, claiming he was preoccupied with a meeting of the Spice Board in Delhi . Mr Naidu stuck to this stance when asked why Mr. Yeddyurappa was not seen at the executive.
