Hindu Right-Wingers Speak Out on Modi - Wall Street Journal
By Vibhuti Agarwal
Divisions among supporters of India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi seem to be getting deeper.
Differences came out in the open in sharply contrasting editorials that ran in a pro-BJP magazine and in several publications affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, an extreme right-wing Hindu group that traditionally endorses the BJP.
An article published in the latest issue of the “Organizer”, an English-language magazine run by the RSS, described Mr. Modi as “by far the most popular leader in the country” and the “most preferred prime ministerial choice of the people”.
Describing Mr. Modi as the “BJP’s mascot” for the national elections to be held in 2014, G.V.L Narasimha Rao, the article’s author, said he has the potential to catapult the party to power.
“Modi as the leader of the BJP would deliver huge gains to it in the battleground state of Uttar Pradesh,” argues Mr. Rao. “He would help the BJP cross a threshold level of vote share to start winning seats in states like Orissa and Haryana and improve vote share substantially in states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal to make it an attractive pre-poll alliance partner.”
The BJP has deep-running ties with the RSS: many of the party’s leaders –including Nitin Gadkari, L.K. Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee – have their roots in the group. The RSS, which relies on an extensive grassroots network, wields considerable influence on the BJP’s policy agenda.
Mr. Rao’s views contrast with those published in the RSS’ Hindi weekly “Panchjanya”.
“Opponents of BJP get an opportunity to attack the party if such a popular leader [Modi] acquires an image of being intolerant who cannot take his colleagues along,” writes Devendra Swaroop in an editorial.
This appeared to be a reference to an episode that took place last week, when Mr. Modi refused to attend a meeting of senior BJP politicians in Mumbai over policy differences with fellow party member Sunil Joshi.
It was only after Mr. Joshi resigned as a member of the BJP’s executive body that Mr. Modi agreed to participate in the session, according to media reports.
“It is being felt that Modi needs to do a rethink about his style of functioning and organizational capabilities,” Mr. Swaroop wrote in the Panchjanya editorial.
The BJP magazine, “Kamal Sandesh” echoes similar views. Without explicitly naming Mr. Modi, author Prabhat Jha argues that the “BJP does not function on the basis of any individual’s contribution alone.”
“It is always seen that on reaching the top, even after knowing that a day will come when he has to come down, he tries to belittle the ones below him,” Mr. Jha writes.
BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar played down the articles saying “don’t make a story out of nothing.” He refused to comment on whether Mr. Modi will be the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate for the next general elections.
A major obstacle for Mr. Modi’s potential candidacy is that he does not enjoy the support of several key BJP politicians, including Mr. Advani and Sushma Swaraj.
The Gujarat riots are another major issue. While Mr. Modi has been hailed for his development efforts in Gujarat, his legacy has been tainted by the communal riots of 2002 in which over 1000 people died. Mr. Modi has been criticized for not doing enough to stop the violence, allegations he denies.
Political analyst Chintamani Mahapatra, professor at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University says “Modi might be the BJP’s popular face but the party will take a decision on him only after consultation with potential coalition partners.”
The RSS will likely play a big role in determining whether Mr. Modi could become the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. “Without the RSS’ backing, no candidate can do well,” says Mr. Mahapatra.
Do you think the BJP should choose Narendra Modi as its leader? Please share your views in the Comments section.
Liverpool chief takes swipe at comedian Whelan - Football
Published: 05 Jun 2012 - 13:17:09
Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre has hit back at Dave Whelan after the Wigan chairman criticised the Reds' handling of their search for a new manager.
Ayre is angry that Whelan went public with details of Liverpool's interest in Wigan boss Roberto Martinez before the Anfield club eventually hired Brendan Rodgers from Swansea.
Whelan claimed Liverpool had offered Martinez the job as long as he was willing to accept a director of football working above him.
But Ayre insisted Rdogers was always their first choice and responded by taking a swipe at Whelan's constant appearances in the English media.
"Our aim from the outset was to conduct a proper, thorough, search, and do it in the proper manner," Ayre told the Liverpool Echo.
"From our point of view, we did all the right things. We approached the clubs we needed to approach, and conducted ourselves properly at all times.
"It is disappointing, then, that Dave Whelan felt the need to run the kind of sideshow he conducted via Sky Sports News and various other media outlets.
"To be honest, I always thought (stand-up comic) John Bishop was the biggest comedian in the north west, but Dave Whelan seems to have taken that mantle over the last couple of weeks!"
Liverpool's American owners, Fenway Sports Group, were linked with a host of managers after they sacked Kenny Dalglish last month and some critics suggested they should have spoken to just one target rather than trying to conduct interviews with several candidates.
That process was initially said to have convinced Rodgers to snub Liverpool's interest before he later changed his mind, but Ayre believes it was right to conduct the most comprehensive search possible.
"It is important to understand that we ran a proper search to find a new manager, and that part of that involved us speaking to a number of candidates," he said.
"We make no secret of the fact we spoke with Roberto Martinez, but that is all we did. He is a great guy, and I can't speak highly enough of his professionalism and conduct.
"But for his chairman to make suggestions like he has, and suggestions that just aren't true, well it is disappointing to say the least.
"We can say with absolute certainty that the only person who was made any offer by Liverpool Football Club is Brendan Rodgers."
Related Liverpool News
Poster campaign keeps Modi-Joshi row alive - The Hindu
The Narendra Modi-Sanjay Joshi issue is far from over. Ten days after BharatiyaJanata Party president Nitin Gadkari sacked Mr. Joshi from the national executive under pressure from the Gujarat Chief Minister, mysterious posters have surfaced in Gujarat and here targeting Mr. Modi.
While the BJP maintains that it has no clue to who is behind the poster campaign, senior leaders have conceded that the Modi-Sanjay row has divided the BJP as well as the Sangh Parivar. Influential sections within the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP have openly sympathised with Mr. Joshi, an RSS pracharak and Mr. Modi's bête noire.
According to a senior BJP leader, the poster campaign as well as articles in the mouthpieces of the RSS and the BJP critical of Mr. Modi reflect the divisions within the party and unease over the manner Mr. Gadkari yielded to the Chief Minister.
An article in Panchjanya, RSS mouthpiece, not only questioned Mr. Modi's style of functioning but also suggested that the issue of the BJP's prime ministerial candidate be decided only after the 2014 general elections — an obvious reference to the race within the party to position oneself as the nominee before the poll.
The posters, which have surfaced in parts of central Delhi, with Joshi's pictures read: Chote man se koi bada nahi hota, tute man se koi bada nahi hota (nobody becomes big with a narrow mind). They go on to say: Kaho dil se... Sanjay Joshi phir se (Say with your heart, Sanjay Joshi once again).” Though name of the Gujarat Chief Minister does not figure in the posters, the reference to the post-Mumbai conclave of the BJP is obvious.
Responding to questions, BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “These were not authorised banners and posters of the party, so I do not have to say anything about them.”
On the pieces in Panchajanya and the BJP's Kamal Sandesh, expressing concern over internal affairs of the party, Mr. Prasad said much should not be read into the articles.
“What appeared in Panchajanya and the Organiser are only the personal views of the author and not of the organisation (RSS). RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav has already clarified this and I as a Swayamsevak of the RSS and Chief spokesperson of the BJP am saying this.”
Poland walk in giants' footsteps - UEFA
On Monday evening, the Poland squad visited the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw where they took in the Great Football Exhibition, including a fascinating collection curated by renowned Polish journalist Stefan Szczepłek.
The players were given a brief talk against the impressive backdrop of a giant photograph of Poland's winning team from the 1972 Olympic Games, with Szczepłek eager to underline that the current squad are following in illustrious footsteps. "You are sitting in front of a very important picture," he told them. "This is when proper football really started in Poland."
The players then followed their guide on a tour of the exhibition, which includes signed shirts from luminaries such as Pelé, Diego Maradona, Franz Beckenbauer and UEFA President Michel Platini. Special attention was paid to memorabilia made available by the family of Kazimierz Górski – the visionary manager of that 1972 side, who also led Poland to third place at the 1974 FIFA World Cup – along with numerous exhibits related to one of the famous players of that era, Kazimierz Deyna.
"It's a great idea for the players to do something like this," said forward Paweł Brożek. "It's not just about killing time; it's good to do something that's really interesting and to learn more about the great Polish sides of the past
. Of course, it will be difficult to replicate the success of the Poland team of the 1970s, but seeing this exhibition acts as a motivation for the players.
"As it happens, I also collect football memorabilia and my favourite shirt is the one I got from Gerard Piqué during my time at Wisła Kraków, when we played Barcelona in the Champions League," the 29-year-old added. "I will treasure that shirt forever, so yes, I enjoyed this exhibition because it means you can think about something else and not just focus on the game all the time. You would go crazy if you did that all the time."
After completing their tour, the players signed three Poland strips which will be added to the exhibition, which runs until late autumn. The dream, of course, is that one day those will be priceless mementos of another glorious Polish side.
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