When Narendra Modi accompanied Dr. Manmohan Singh

July 28, 2008

When Narendra Modi accompanied Dr. Manmohan Singh

By Neel Shah,
Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat on 28th of July, 2008

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited Ahmedabad’s Civil, L.G. and V.S. hospitals today where survivors of Ahmedabad blasts were admitted. Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi received Prime Minister at the airport.

Both Modi and Singh were in a same car together throughout the Ahmedabad visit showing unity and solidarity of political leaders across parties against terrorism. Some said this was common as per the protocol but none denied that Chemistry between Singh and Modi was somewhere beyond just protocol today.

Media crews captured rare shots of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minster Dr. Manmohan Singh talking and walking with each other calmly and cordially.

Narendra Modi explained the Prime Minister about aftermath at the site of the bomb blast he had seen in Civil hospital, outside the Trauma center. Dr. Singh listened carefully when Modi narrated the events. Standing at the ‘Ground Zero’, Modi showed a partially burnt tall green tree standing nearby. This tree had caught fire due to high flames of the blast. Local MLA Pradip Sinh Jadeja also explained Prime Minister about how emergency ward just a wall away from the blast was affected.

Gujarat’s assembly speaker Ashok Bhatt, Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala, Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas, Education Minister Ramanlal Vora, local MLA Pradipsinh Jadeja, Union Textile Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela, Congress man Rajiv Shukla from Delhi, Gujarat Congress president Siddharth Patel and leader of opposition Shaktisingh Gohil were also present at the Civil hospital.

Dr. Manmohan Singh visited each survivor at Civil hospital’s B-4 ward. While Narendra Modi was accompanying Prime Minister as per the protocol he continuously kept distance from Sonia Gandhi. Gujarat Congress president Siddharth Patel and leader of opposition Shaktisingh Gohil accompanied UPA chair person Sonia Gandhi through out the visit. Sonia Gandhi curiously asked questions to the survivors and talked with them.

Prime Minister congratulated local BJP MLA Pradipsinh Jadeja and Civil hospital superintendent Mrs. Anchaliya for admirably well rescue and relief works they had performed. It should be noted that at the time of the blast both Anchaliya and Jadeja were in trauma center. Even in very grim situation they quickly arranged and operated a new temporary trauma ward and successfully proceeded treatments in some minutes.

After short visits to Civil hospital and L.G. hospital, Prime Minister talked to the media at V.S. hospital which was his last stoppage of today’s Ahmedabad visit. He said “I have come to express our solidarity with the people of Gujarat in their hour of crisis. I commend the people of Gujarat for the resilience they have shown. These terrorist acts are aimed at destroying our social fabric, undermining communal harmony and demoralizing our people. As the people of Gujarat have shown so admirably, these efforts of terrorists will not succeed. We will rise to the challenge and I am confident we will be able to defeat these forces. In this hour of tragedy, my heart goes out to those who have lost their dear and near ones. I offer my sympathies to those injured. We will do our best to take care of them”.

The prime minister raised the central government’s ex gratia relief to the blast victims. While the kin of those killed will get Rs.350,000 instead of the Rs.100,000 announced Saturday night, those injured will get Rs.50,000.

When Narendra Modi accompanied Dr. Manmohan Singh

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