Uttan: Stoking a fresh controversy,
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday sought to know what
good has Children`s Day done for kids.
"Jawaharlal Nehru was said to be very fond of kids and
his birthday has been christened as Children`s Day. Kids
called him `Nehru Chacha` and it brings images of a benevolent
Nehru flooding our minds. But what good has it done to the
kids?" Modi asked.
He was speaking at a convention of Chief Ministers of
BJP-ruled states here on the city`s outskirts.
"Has it (Children`s Day) refurbished the image of kids
who lie in lap of poverty, losing their precious years of
childhood," Modi said.
Has anyone shed a tear for these children who struggle
to get a square meal a day when Children`s Day is celebrated?
he asked.
"Let me contrast it with Lal Bahadur Shastri. He coined
the slogan `Jai Jawan Jai Kisan` which electrified farmers and
jawans," Modi said.
"Shastriji, unlike Nehru, was not a charismatic leader,
yet his tenure saw India producing record foodgrains," the BJP
leader said.
PTI
