Name Bhopals maut ka saudagar: Modi to Sonia

Senior BJP leader and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi on Sunday did not mention his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar...

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Senior BJP leader and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi on Sunday did not mention his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar who is upset over an ad showing him with Modi in his speech and rather chose to attack Sonia Gandhi,reviving the merchant of death (maut ka saudagar) debate to attack the Congress chief,but in the context of Bhopal gas tragedy.

It was finally L K Advani,the last speaker at BJPs Swabhiman rally,at the end of the two-day party national executive,who mentioned Nitish Kumar asking him to forget petty skirmishes that happen in any coalition. Narendra Modi joining hands (referring to Ludhiana rally picture) with Nitish Kumar can only be a symbol of friendship,not of hatred, Advani said wishing Kumars presence at the rally.

Asking Gandhi to break her silence over the great escape of Warren Anderson,Modi said,Madam Soniaji,apna maun todiye and bataiye ki Bhopal kand mein maut ka saudagar kaun tha. Desh ki janta ko biswas dilaiye us din hua kya tha (Break your silence and tell us who are the merchants of death in the Bhopal tragedy. Tell the nation what happened that day).

Gandhi had first used the term maut ka saudagar during the 2007 Gujarat elections in the context of the post-Godhra riots to attack Modi.

Modi said skeletons are tumbling out of the closet about how the CBI was misused and how the then Prime Ministers Office was used to save Anderson.

BJP chief Nitin Gadkari too slammed the Congress for Andersons escape. Contesting Pranab Mukherjees comments on Anderson,he said if one is to go by the reasoning that he was flown out of Bhopal because of the situation there following the tragedy,then the Congress and Mukherjee should explain why he was flown out of India. He could have been arrested in New Delhi, he said.

Modi also took on Sonia on inflation saying no one had ever heard the Congress president speak a single sentence on inflation. Soniaji,your are also a mother. Dont you care for children of the poor?

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Attacking the UPA government on soft handling of Naxalism,Modi said: It is very fashionable to call Naxalism a socio-economic problem. But I want to know which government at the Centre is responsible for causing it. It must be only Congress.

Without referring to Nitish Kumars jibes on Gujarat government bragging about its Kosi contribution,Modi talked about long association of Bihar and Gujarat and thanked Bihar for its help during Bhuj earthquake.