Paswan’s return removed Modi’s untouchable tag

BJP president Rajnath Singh claims Narendra Modi is no longer an ‘untouchable’ in poli t i cs and restraint needs to be

main-main- tained in political discourse. Excerpts from an interview: Do yoyou think this election is polaripolarised on communal lines? Some of our rivals are desperately trying to achieve this. They are hurling abuses at the BBJP and Narendra Modi to create some sort of polarisation. We will keep our focus on ththe issue of development. Why thent did Amit Shah asked people in riot-hit Muzaffarnagar to seekse revenge? HiHis remarks have been wrongly interpreted. He just asked voters to bring about a change through ballot. What was wrong in that? Isn’t election an opportunity to vote out a non-performing government? Is Modi also a polarising figure treated as an untouchable? He is the most vilified politician in India. No other leader has been subjected to such a sustained and motivated campaign. But how can you call him untouchable? Today he is the PM candidate of the 28-party National Democratic alliance. The day Ram Vilas Paswan, who had quit NDA after the 2002 riots, retur ned, t he untouchable tag on Modi was removed. Now, we have the TDP on our side. Do you think the level of discourse during the elections has touched a new low? Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaih recently called Modi a mass murderer. Do you expect an elected CM to use such words? The Congressruled states have a long history of riots, but BJP never used such words. A certain level of decency and restraint has to be maintained.