Ahmedabad, Sep 15: Gujarat Congress leaders today dubbed Chief Minister Narendra Modi's “five star” fast beginning on Saturday for three days as a “gimmick” and in a counter move announced plans for a parallel fast during the same period.
Shankarsinh Vaghela, a Congress leader, claimed that all what Modi wants to do is to project himself as a “messiah” of the minorities by undertaking the proposed fast for peace, harmony and unity in the state coinciding with his 61st birthday.
GPCC president Arjun Modhvadia will also take part in the Congress fast to be held on the footpath outside Sabarmati Ashram, abode of Mahatma Gandhi during pre-independence days.
Modi also came under criticism from his staunch critic Mallikha Sarabhai, a noted danseuse, and Gordhanbhai Zadaphia, a former minister in his cabinet who fell out with him.
Sarabhai said his proposed fast was a “cheap joke” and “a circus” and she would instead feed children from the slums during the three days of Modi's fast (September 17-19).
Sarabhai said that by way of protest, she would provide nutritious meals two times a day to 200 malnourished children from the city slums during.
Zadaphia called the fast a “political stunt”. He also did not spare Vaghela , saying he is is doing another stunt. “They are making a mockery of a fast,” he added.
“The Gujarat chief minister, interpreting the Supreme Court order as he has been declared innocent, has announced a three-day fast. Now, he wants to project himself as a messiah of minorities by undertaking such a fast and wants to show that he is their protector,” Vaghela told reporters.
“If there is a justifiable cause for fast by the chief minister, we can understand it. But he is saying that this fast is for sadbhavna. But his fast is based on farce, falsehood and corruption,” Vaghela claimed.
“Our fast will be held on the footpath outside Sabarmati ashram and will be a fast of the common man but the fast of Modi will be a five star air-conditioned fast as he is planning to do it in the convention hall of Gujarat University,” he said. PTI
