New Delhi: Social harmony is in the DNA of NDA, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said amid escalating war of words between BJP and JD-U over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's DNA barb in Bihar and reminded that the BJP did not leave its allies.
"Peaceful co-existence and social harmony are not only ingrained in India but also in NDA. One may ask how these two qualities are in the DNA of NDA. It is proved. Social harmony and peaceful co-existence are our commitment not our compulsion," he said, while releasing three books penned by the Prime Minister including one on social harmony. He reasoned that while the BJP needed allies when Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was formed as it was short of numbers it was not so in 2014 when it got an absolute majority.
"It is due to the fact that social harmony and peaceful existence are in our DNA that we decided to form the government with our allies with whom we had fought elections," he said.
The Home Minister's remarks came in the backdrop of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announcing to launch "take back your words" campaign, saying Modi's remark was an "insult" to the people of the state.
Addressing BJP's first "Parivartan rally" at Muzaffarpur on July 25, Modi had made the "DNA" comment against Kumar.
Kumar's JD-U had parted ways from BJP breaking its 17-year-old alliance with NDA in June 2013 opposing Modi's elevation within the BJP.
Hailing Modi as a leader in whose heart common man dwells, Singh and BJP chief Amit Shah repeatedly referred to his humble origin and expressed confidence that the report card of the Modi government will be a "grand" one after five years since he made a "solid opening" as Prime Minister.
Shah lauded Modi for establishing Gujarat model as an ideal model of governance, while Singh listed a number of measures of the Centre to hammer home the point that Modi is a leader of common man and cares for the poor and the last man in the row.
Noting that sometimes questions are raised whenever BJP leaders say that Modi is a very emotional person, Singh said the books also present the emotional aspect of the Prime Minister's character apart from his concern for common man and his organisational ability.
Talking of the plurality of the nation, he said, "There are 72 sects of Islam found in India, which are not found together in any other country. And this is due to qualities of social harmony and peaceful co-existence in India. These two qualities are not only in the DNA of India but also in the DNA of NDA."
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