BJPS prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will skip the meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) slated for Monday. Gujarat government sources said Modi has deputed Minister of State (Ho-me) Rajni Patel to represent him. They sought to suggest that prior engagements were the reason behind the decision. Coming in the backdrop of riots in Muzaffarnagar,the meeting is slated to discuss the rising trend of communal incidents across the country. The meeting also holds significance in the wake of apprehensions of polarisation in the poll year. UP CM Akhilesh Yadav will be attending despite the death of senior party leader Mohan Singh. Given the importance of the meeting,the CM landed in the Capital Sunday night itself to pay his last respect to Mohan Singh because he will not be in Lucknow on Monday and will be attending the NIC meeting in Delhi, said a UP government officer.
