Gujarat: Modi under Fire for 'Using' Vivekananda for Poll Campaign

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has kept his poll campaign centred on spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda, attempting to keep his Hindutva image intact while reaching out to other communities, to make himself more acceptable at the national level. However, the Opposition has dubbed it as a ploy to garner political gains. 

Modi has taken out a month-long political yatra naming it Swami Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra and has been addressing Vivekananda Youth Convention all over the state and has been quoting from his work on a daily basis on his twitter account, a strategy which has baffled his detractors. 

His opponents have severely criticised him for misusing name of Swami Vivekananda, who during his life had remained away from any political activity though being very famous in the late part of 18th century after he returned from the U.S. 

"Swami Vivekananda, as per the tradition of saints in the country having a secular outlook was the biggest propagator of Hindu religion in modern times," those close to the Ramakrishna Mission established by the saint himself said. 

"He had always remained away from politics during his life saying that he was not a political leader," they added. 

Modi has kept a statue of Swami Vivekananda before his rath on a vehicle which travels with him during the yatra. He has also painted his bus converted into rath with photographs of Swami Vivekananda. 

In his speeches during the yatra, Modi speaks about realising dreams of Swami Vivekananda to make India 'vishwa guru', and urges youths to take up his cause. 

"We respect Swami Vivekananda and that is the reason we have decided to take out yatra in his name. This yatra ensures that Modi's core belief in Hindutva is intact along with the motto of our government - appeasement for none, development for all," a BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.