Joshi, Bharti set stage for Modi to play peace

While Vaiko said it was time to realise that fires could not be doused with fires, Uma Bharti said she regretted the reason for her visit to the city. ‘‘This state does not belong to rapists and murderers. Let’s understand that this is not Indian culture, na jane kis ki nazar lag gayi hai’’.

But it was Modi who got resounding applause. Delivering his speech in chaste Hindi, Modi played the role of peacemaker. ‘‘On thinking deeply, it seems that Gujarat has lost her humanity, madness seems to prevail, there is an urgent need to weed out such elements,’’ said Modi.

‘‘You cannot set alight the innocent in your quest for justice, leave the justice to the law and order machinery, the need of the hour is to keep restraint,’’ he said.

While thanking the Parliament for reposing confidence in him, Modi criticised the Opposition for using such peace meets to prop their political messages. While asking for the support of the people in restoring peace in the city, Union HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi said, ‘‘There are some who think Gujarat needs a lesson in secularism, but Gujarat has a long standing tradition right from the days when the Parsis were welcomed’’.

Sharing the dais with representative of all faiths, the leaders made all the right noises. The only discordant note in the picture perfect gathering was when the Chief Minister handed over the mike to Kamaluddin Refai Saheb, the Muslim religious leader. ‘‘We don’t want to listen to him,’’ shouted a man from the crowd only to be quietened quickly by party volunteers.

Many VMC employees, teachers, NGO activists, the mandatory NCC cadets, doctors, nurses attended the rally. They were all in white as requested by the organisers and only the BJP cadre added a dash of saffron in armbands and sashes. There was no doubt that the rally organised by the Municipal Organisation and host of other organisations was a BJP show all the way.