An
uncanny bonhomie that cuts across the party lines, smiles,
emotion-choked voices and witty banter - all happened in the course of
an eventful Wednesday May 21,2014 when Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi spent
his last day as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
The farewell in the Gujarat Assembly saw Modi, in statesman-like remarks, disclaiming credit for Gujarat's growth.
"Every
legislator, be it from any party, has worked for Gujarat's forays in
all sectors. I am not the only one. I created a system where every MLA's
suggestion or question in the House was taken note of and followed up.
Everyone has worked hard, and that's what we are meant for," he said.
"You all would understand that as a Prime Minister I have to ensure the
welfare of every corner of this unique country," Modi said after he
promised to take due care of Gujarat's aspirations and legitimate
rights.
"Forgive
me if I have done anything wrong. This is my fourth term as the chief
minister. As I am going now and I don't know when I will come back here,
I want you to forgive me if you felt that I was not up to the mark in
my work or there was any shortcoming in my conduct.
"Today
is the day of forgiveness. I respect you all and this House. I
especially thank the Opposition," an emotional Modi said while thanking
his party.
"The Assembly was a training ground for me as an MLA and as the Chief Minister," he added.
Leader
of the Opposition, Shankersinh Vaghela, who along with Modi had laid
the foundation for the BJP's growth in the late 80s and early 90s,
surprised everyone by hugging Modi and garlanding him with a shawl.
"Shankersinh
would now be able to say that he took around the future Prime Minister
on his motorcycle. There is not a single district in Gujarat where the
two of us have not strutted around. He loved the Bullet and not the
jeep. The memories are still there with me and him too, I am sure," the
PM-designate remarked.
"Many
people wonder 'what is the Gujarat model'. This is the Gujarat model,"
Modi said, referring to the elegant all-party send-off to him.
Earlier,Leader
of the Opposition Shankersinh
Vaghela swished a double-edged sword by showering accolades on Modi for
catapulting the BJP from two Lok Sabha seats in 1984 to 282 in 2014,
but in the same vein took a jibe at him.
"It
was the individual's marketing that made a difference. Seeking votes in
the name of BJP would not have delivered this result as in the name of
the individual," the veteran leader said about his rival.
"Narendra Modi
is not the prime minister of the BJP but of the entire country. Now,
the BJP has a brute majority and technically does not even need its NDA
partners. There is nobody stopping it from building a Ram Temple in
Ayodhya, albeit within the constitutional framework."
Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal presents a memento to Prime
Minister-elect and outgoing Chief Minister Narendra Modi, as BJP leader
Amit Shah looks on
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