"...I was particularly struck by the manner in which Modi has talked about Prof Keshavram Kashiram Shastry or Keka Shastri... who had been State president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad for quite sometime... He emphatically mentions that ‘he was as a father to me’...
"...At one level it is surprising that Modi is showcasing his caste, as the aim of RSS, whose trained swayamsevak (volunteer) he is, is to forge a monolithic Hindu identity, papering over the caste differences and underplaying its inherent hierarchy... There is a twin track strategy as far as caste question is concerned. On one side [the Sangh Parivar] aims to project Modi’s backward caste identity, and this is for an electoral appeal. At another level it also aims to bring in overarching Hindu identity over and above the caste identity, while retaining the caste pyramid.
"Narendra Modi, whom some consider a human rights criminal, is running for PM of India and being touted as an economic saviour based on his record in Gujurat. An analysis of these claims reveals a version of corporation-driven neoliberalism as extreme as that of the US..."
An increasing number of conflicts are surfacing within the BJP, many over seat allocation. These have led to resignations, bandhs and supporters ransacking party offices. But supporters of Narendra Modi are confident that these rebellions will only impart momentum to Modi's campaign.
"Modi ... is putting together a party of loyalists even before he has come to office. They include many opportunists salivating over the prospect of loaves and fishes. Anyone who seems to have the slightest chance at the hustings - from rank opportunists opposed to the party till yesterday to fading film stars - is welcome..."
"Who does Narendra Modi represent and what does his rise in Indian politics signify? ...it is tempting to see the Gujarat chief minister’s arrival on the national stage as a watershed moment in the escalation of communal politics... And yet... Modi is where he is today - on the cusp of power - not because the country is becoming more communal but because the Indian corporate sector is becoming more impatient..."
"PANAJI: Cyber crime cell of Goa police on Wednesday registered a complaint against a person for his alleged inflammatory posts on a social networking site which were targeting the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls..."
The slogan 'Har Har Modi' has caused some controversy, symbolising the extent to which the campaign looks like a personality cult. Modi claims this slogan is the creation of over-enthusiastic supporters, but the evidence suggests it was prepared by his own strategists.
Who says what in the Sangh Parivar... For example, which Harvard alumnus said: "make learning of Sanskrit and singing of Vande Mataram mandatory, and declare India a Hindu Rashtra in which non-Hindus can vote only if they proudly acknowledge that their ancestors were Hindus"?
