Controversy over Mehbooba Mufti’s praise

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti has said that the BJP leader Sushma Swaraj’s claim that she had praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is baseless. She never called Modi a “Messiah of people” as claimed by Sushma Swaraj. Sushma Swaraj also claimed that Mehbooba Mufti termed Modi as a “secular and Muslim-friendly” at the recently held National Integration Council (NIC) meeting.
Mufti has has refuted Sushma’s statement and said she would rather die before praising Narendra Modi. She has charged NC leader and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah of hobnobbing with BJP by saying about Modi that he saw Allah his eyes. She says in an interview that J &K CM Omar Abdullah was a Union Minister in NDA Goverment and Farooq had praised Modi when there was an alliance between BJP and National Conference (NC).
Mehbooba Mufti has also asked the Centre to check her statement with record.Though it has been the fashion among politicians that whenever they face embarrassment by the statement, they say that it has been misquoted or misinterpreted. The character of all political parties are well known and they need not give any clarification about it.
It is a meaningless controversy that has been deliberately created to reap political benefit. Narendra Modi observed 3-day fast to begin his sadbhavna mission. It is his new found idea to makeover his image for larger acceptance out of Gujarat so that he could staik claim within the BJP for positioning himself as priministerial candidate in 2014 elections.
His 3-day fast at Gujarat University Conventre Centre was attended by all the top leaders of the party. It amply reflects the BJP’s realisation that unless and untill the party is accepted by all sections of society throughout the nation, no leader can adorn the post of prime minister.
Because of Modi’s hardline image, his acceptance is confined to Gujarat only and that can not propel him on national scene as a strong candidate for prime ministership. But one thing is also clear that among the second generation of BJP leaders, Narendra Modi is the most formidable.
By claiming that Mehbooba Mufti praised Narendra Modi, Sushma Swaraj has tried to send a message among the muslim minority that he is of liberal and friendly nature, and he has also secular bent of mind.
But the ground reality is still the same in Gujarat and elsewhere in the country about Modi . He is charged with involvement in the worst ever riot of 2002 in the state. Refusing to wear skull -cap offered by a prestigeous Muslim saint as reported by the media, Modi at last has given a true account of himself. Gujarat CM is riding on the back of lion. Once he tried to get off it, he will have to pay the price in the annoyance of hardline Hindu voters. The controversy over Muft’s statement is only to distract the attention from Gujarat CM Narendra Modi’s failure to makeover his hardline image through 3-day Sadbhavna mission.