India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) leaders and federal ministers took to media to hail Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s epoch-making public life. While some of them wrote articles in newspapers, others opted for social media to shower praise on him.
“Reason for Modi’s longevity as an elected leader is his ability to challenge himself”, wrote Jagat Prakash Nadda, chief of the BJP.
“No Parallel to PM Modi’s unique style and substance in India’s political history”, wrote Dr Jitendra Singh, federal minister for the development of the northeast, space and atomic energy.
India’s Home Minister Amit Shah termed Modi’s completion of two decades in public life as a historic moment, as he said, “7 October is an important day in the history”.
07 अक्टूबर देश के इतिहास में एक बहुत महत्वपूर्ण दिन है। 2001 में आज ही के दिन @narendramodi जी ने गुजरात के मुख्यमंत्री के रूप में शपथ ली और उस दिन से शुरू हुआ बिना रुके, बिना आराम किए हर दिन देशहित और जनसेवा में समर्पित एक ऐसा सफर जिसने नित नए आयाम स्थापित किए। #20thYearOfNaMo
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 7, 2020
“Today, every Indian is looking up to Narendra Modi to make the country a world leader - by his thoughts, vision and charismatic personality”, Shah stated.
"Tireless work & peerless vision" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tweeted federal Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.
National president, @BJP4India, Sh @JPNadda Ji has brilliantly articulated the tireless work & peerless vision of PM Sh @narendramodi Ji, highlighting the reasons behind his exemplary 2-decade journey as an elected leader.@IndianExpress #20thYearOfNaMohttps://t.co/fmDhPktweN
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) October 7, 2020
Modi has become one of the “longest serving heads of an elected government in the world”, tweeted another federal minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Prasad counted Modi in the exclusive club of the longest serving world leaders - former US Presidents Bill Clinton and Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as Helmut Kohl of Germany.
PM @narendramodi has become one of the longest serving head of an elected government in the world. It is a matter of great pride for every Indian. May he get all the strength so that India and the world grow prosperous with peace and sustainability. #20thYearOfNamo pic.twitter.com/MZzpiO88W4
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) October 7, 2020
Some ministerial colleagues of Modi even said that French astrologer Nostradamus had predicted Narendra Modi’s rise in 1555.
"French prophet Nostradamus wrote that from 2014 to 2026, a man will lead India, whom initially, people will hate but after that people will love him so much that he will be engaged in changing the country's plight and direction", wrote Kiren Rijiju, currently the junior minister for youth affairs and sports, on his Facebook page.
On the other hand, Modi’s political adversary Rahul Gandhi, the former chief of India’s main opposition Congress, listed the prime minister’s failures in a video post.
“Narendra Modi just wants to promote his image. He swears by 'Bharatmata' or Mother India, but gave up 12,000 kilometres to China, only to save his image. It is a reality, whether or not you believe it”, said Gandhi in the video.
PM जी, अकेले टनल में हाथ हिलाना छोड़ो, अपनी चुप्पी तोड़ो।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 7, 2020
सवालों का सामना करो, देश आपसे बहुत कुछ पूछ रहा है। pic.twitter.com/o6pVLjZlIO
Gandhi has been accusing Modi of failure in dealing with the Chinese ingression in eastern Ladakh, where the armies of both the countries had one of the worst face-offs in mid-June, in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives.
The standoff, which began in early May, is continuing, with troops of China’s People's Liberation Army still not vacating some friction points, despite talks at the army commander and diplomatic levels.
