Slander marks E-2014 slugfest

New Delhi: This week marks a new low in campaigning for E-2014, with attacks on stellar candidates becoming too personal and unworthy of the high offices they wish to occupy. Suddenly, there is a spurt of attacks on Narendra Modi, as if all the knives are pointed at him.    

Not to be outfoxed, the inimitable Lalu Prasad Yadav said the butcher is better than Modi. “Even a butcher is ashamed of Narendra Modi. Should this person become the PM of India?”

In a statement that created a flutter, Derek O’Brien said, “Butcher of Gujarat air-dropped into Bengal. He has no answers to Bengal’s development model. So, he is making personal attacks.”

“The Butcher of Gujarat could not take care of his own wife. How will he take care of this great nation?,” he asked.

A day after “the butcher of Gujarat” remark, Mamata Banerjee renewed her attack calling Modi the “architect of riots”. If he (Modi) comes to power, India will plunge into darkness, said Mamata.

Modi had earlier criticised Mamata, saying, “You are a good painter. I have heard earlier your paintings used to be sold for Rs 4 lakh, Rs 8 lakh, Rs 15 lakh. But what is the reason behind your painting once being sold for Rs 1.80 crore?” Modi questioned.

Dripping with sarcasm, Modi said the country was proud to have such a painter but questioned who purchased the painting, saying, “How many paintings did he buy? Who all have bought your paintings? And at what prices? People of Bengal want to know.”

Addressing an election rally in Sreerampore in the Hooghly district, Modi raised the issue of the multi-crore rupee Saradha scam, promising “no one will be spared” if he came to power at the centre.

Dripping with sarcasm, Modi said the country was proud to have such a painter but questioned who purchased the painting, saying, “How many paintings did he buy? Who all have bought your paintings? And at what prices? People of Bengal want to know.”

“God save the country from Gujarat model,” said Sonia Gandhi. BJP’s much-touted Gujarat model is actually ‘Modi model,’ under which the common man is suffering. What is happening in Gujarat under this model? Sikhs living there since past 50 years were being forced to leave the state,” Sonia said while addressing an election rally in Malwa belt of Punjab.

A day after BJP released a video targeting Robert Vadra on his alleged land deals, Congress has distributed photographs and a CD that shows Narendra Modi with a man that it claims is a “hawala operator.” Congress released several photographs that show a man called Afroz Fatta among a group of people with Modi and other BJP leaders. Fatta was raided by the Enforcement Directorate last month in connection with a multi-crore hawala or money laundering case in Surat, Gujarat.

Not to be left out, BSP supremo Mayawati accused BJP of trying to “hoodwink” OBC and dalit voters by projecting Narendra Modi as a leader from a lower caste. BJP does not respect its Brahmin leaders as it forced Murli Manohar Joshi to abandon Varanasi seat and pointed out that her party had given tickets to 21 Brahmins in Uttar Pradesh. 
 

And Jayalalithaa is on record calling the Gujarat’s development is a “myth”. She urged Modi to check his facts before he speaks.