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'What use development if your son can't return home safe?'

The man is clearly under pressure. On his shoulders for the last one month -- nay, the last year -- has lain the responsibility of rescuing the Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat.

Caretaker Chief Minister Narendra Modi began his election campaign with an arrogance rarely seen in politics. But as the campaign progressed, Congress president Sonia Gandhi waded into him, pushing him on the defensive.

Gandhi's meetings got an unexpectedly impressive response. But Modi is not one to throw the towel in so easily. In his speech on December 5 at Babra in Amreli district, delivered just three hours after Gandhi flew out of the small Saurashtra town, Modi was full of taunts, inanities, a few facts and a few lies as he kept the public entertained with his witty speech and had them applauding at every pause.

This was Modi's take on Sonia Gandhi and her party:

"The whole country is looking towards Babra today. I was informed last night that I am supposed to visit Babra. I was Gujto come in earlier, but then I said no, ladies first. Because Gujarat believes in the Hindu culture of respecting women.

"Brothers, this election is not to decide who will become MLA, minister, or CM. This election is to decide who is fit to provide security to five crore Gujaratis. The final day is December 15. On that day, not only the 18,000 villages of Gujarat but the whole of India will celebrate the BJP's victory.

"I am confident that the BJP will win, but this election is such, maybe... I am saying maybe, just suppose for a moment… that something goes wrong and God thinks otherwise and we lose, then? If the BJP loses here, Musharraf is waiting to celebrate in Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi. This election is one that Pakistan is watching closely.

"A few days back, a large fake currency note scandal was busted. Notes were seized from anti-nationals and ISI agents. To help whom were the fake notes sent here? Why were the Pakistan-made fake notes here? This election is a warning. This election has caused concern also. For the first time Pakistan wants that a government should be formed in Gujarat that is suitable to them. Pakistan is employing all the tricks to achieve its goal. 

"Just three weeks back the Congress won an election in Kashmir and they have already released more than 100 terrorists! Let Madam Sonia Gandhi tell the nation that to win an election in Kashmir what deal was struck with the terrorists, how the Congress agreed to help them after winning. The public wants to know how many more terrorists you will release.

"Let her take some time to reply because she will have to be given her reply in writing by her aides. Soniaji sometimes speaks the truth. She asked (in her speech in Babra), 'Who knows terrorists more than us?' It's 100 per cent the truth. She would only know well her family members! How would we know terrorists? Those who gave birth to ULFA, those who gave birth to the JKLF, those who gave birth to the PWG, are the creators of terrorism in India. These are the people who gave birth to Bhindranwale. Because of the Congress, in the eastern part of the country terrorists have made their bases. During whose rule in the lanes and mohallas of India did ISI agents spread their network?

"Soniabehn, in 45 years of Congress rule it has not given anything to the nation except terrorism. That's why if you claim to know terrorism well, we don't dispute your claim.

"A few days back she flew into Gujarat with two packages. She asked  you to pick: do you want development or destruction? She asked as a child asks to select one toy. Soniaji, we don't want anything from you. Give this option to the 14 states the Congress is ruling. All that the Congress gave us in the last 45 years is enough. It has broken our spine so much that we are unable to recover.

"Madam, my friends in the Congress, you stand no chance in 2002, but in 2007 you may stand to gain if you follow my advice. If you really want to serve Gujarat, please issue a one-line manifesto this time, which may soften the feelings of Gujaratis for you. Issue a line that in the next five years the Congress will not become a hurdle in anyone's way. Gujarat will be saved if you give just one such assurance.

"Madam is also very worried about my health. After all, she is a sister. She will have feelings for a brother. After all, she has been partaking of our food for the last 20 years. Sisters are always large-hearted, it's natural to have feelings. But Sister, you can't get credit for anything except bringing terrorism to this country. Certainly you can't get credit for my sickness.

"Madam and Congressmen, listen carefully. Till I uproot the Congress, which has a soft corner for terrorists, from the land of Gujarat, nothing is going to happen to my health. I will not fall ill till I uproot the Congress, which is spreading the poison of casteism in the society, which is supporting terrorism.

"Madam is also worried about the co-operative banks. But Madam, 98 per cent banks that have gone bankrupt were in the hands of Congressmen. And the rest sank because of the push from those Congress-managed banks. I know that widows, retired people, and joint families had kept their savings in these banks. We will give priority to enhance the security of depositors' money.

"Madam, if you don't know the facts, don't speak. The guy who is writing your speeches is misleading you. Your speechwriters will sink you. Madam, the co-operative banks sank because of the Congress, and their managers have been arrested.

"And Madam, you are saying that you will bring security and peace. Your 14 Congress-ruled states have opposed POTA [Prevention of Terrorism Act]. Why? To  save what kind of people?

"Your party men have not uttered a word against the perpetrators of the Godhra carnage. Your manifesto asked for a white paper only on the events after Godhra. You don't have the guts to utter a word against the criminals of Godhra. And Madam, how can you talk of development? I am challenging you to come forward to debate the issue with me. Against the Congress rule of 45 years, let me put 45 months' rule of the BJP. Let five crore Gujaratis give their verdict.

"Madam, I know you will not take up my challenge. I am ready to meet you at a place and time of your choosing. And I am ready to debate in a language of your choice. Pick Gujarati, Hindi, or English. And if you are not at ease with any of these I am ready to debate in Italian.

"During drought the Congress government used to ferry water in tankers in 7,000 villages and install hand pumps to draw ground water. In two months, parts of the hand pumps would  not work and it used to take five months to repair them. Who is unaware of these scandals?

"Madam, check it out yourself. The BJP government has installed a 700km long pipeline in 500 days. And the pipeline is not a small one. Soniabehn and Priyankabehn, both can walk upright inside it. And if you wish to drive in a Maruti, you can take along your daughter, her children, your son and his girlfriend. Your Maruti can travel inside our pipeline.

"Don't discuss development with us.We have brought the Narmada waters to Kutch from 500km away, but in Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal is without water though it has a river source nearby. We have seen the worst of natural calamities, but no one has died of hunger. And in your states of Rajasthan and Maharashtra, just one drought is forcing people to eat roti made of grass. We don't say it, these TV guys are saying it, they are not our relatives. Why don't you do some humanitarian work there and save those people who are dying of hunger?

"Madam, stop insulting Gujaratis and stop challenging Gujarati talent. In 20 years of Congress rule not a single school room was added and we have built more than 12,000 rooms. We have given employment to one lakh educated youths.
Not a single girl is unemployed who has done the nursing course. And Madam, still you are out to fool Gujaratis on the issue of development?

"In this election, to defeat one CM, one dozen CMs and five dozen MPs are here. But Madam, since I have the best
wishes of five crore Gujaratis, no one will be able to defeat me. When the earthquake struck Gujarat, where were your CMs, ministers and MPs?

"Somebody told me that two days back all the CMs met and debated that nothing is working in their favour. What to do? So they decided to brief Madam. Because if Narendra Modi comes back in Gujarat their chief ministerships can go. They decided to request Madam. They thought of telling her that 'Madam, we did everything possible, but Modi is not budging an inch. Now we propose that it will be a good idea to get someone from your mother's land.' I can't spell it out, but Italy is famous for one thing. If Madam can manage a few of them here, only then can Modi be shaken up. Let's wait to see if Madam has some influence in her parents' homeland.

"There was a debate in Parliament about what the election issue in Gujarat should be. Arre Congressmen, shall I go to Italy to take permission to decide the issue of our  election? Congressmen are calling me, please, Narendrabhai, don't talk of Godhra? Why is the Congress afraid of Godhra? I am telling you with folded hands that don't vote for the BJP on the issue of  Godhra. For us it's a human issue.We are not sinners like the Congress who encashed Indira Gandhi's dead body and got votes.

"I am requesting you not to vote for the BJP on the issue of Godhra. But if someone tells me to forget Godhra, it's not possible. I'll never forget Godhra. I am not as wicked as Congressmen. I am not as thick-skinned as Congressmen. I am a sensitive citizen. How can I forget Godhra? I have seen the burning compartment. I have seen six-month-old children who were burnt alive by these demons. I have seen bodies turned into coal. I have seen dead women whose only crime was that they were returning from Ayodhya after visiting the Ram temple. I saw a mother with a four-year-old child on her body. We could not separate their bodies. Imagine their painful screams!

"Friends, when you all go to vote this time, if you press your finger on the hand symbol you will hear the screams of Godhra! The  pain of Godhra. I have taken a vow on the platform of Godhra that I'll not spare the sinners of Godhra. I'll teach a lesson to the merchants of death.

"Don't give me threats. I am not afraid of death. Neither do I care for chair nor for life. I am a different case. I have no one to cry after my death. Miyan Musharraf, it's easy to kill one Modi who is without any security. But mothers of Gujarat are not impotent, they will give birth to hundreds of Modis who will reduce Pakistan to pieces. Friends, even if you have gold, a good wife, and all the luxuries of life, if your son can't return home safe in the evening, what's the use of  money or development?"

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