SEPT 21- Even as former Supreme Court VR Krishna Iyer issued a flattering statement for making Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of India describing him as the fittest candidate, Modi has seized the opportunity provided by an atmosphere of bonhomie by tweeting to celebrities, including those opposed to him, requesting them to encourage young voters to register themselves online.
The list is literally a who’s who, from Modi baiters like Shashi Tharoor and Aamir Khan to Dalai Lama and Sri Sri Ravishankar and Kiran Bedi to a host of film actors from Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan , Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Hrithik Roshan to Priety Zinta, Akshay Kumar and Sachin Tendulkar.
“Dear @aamir_khan<https://twitter.com/aamir_khan> lets encourage voter registration among 18-24 yr olds. Large number of them are unregistered. EC drive presently underway.” ran his tweet to the actor who had once vehemently opposed Modi on human rights. Modi didn’t leave even the PMO untouched as a similar appeal went to Dr Manmohan Singh’s office too.
Many of them including his adversaries got back to him. Reacted Tharoor : “Dear @narendramodi<https://twitter.com/narendramodi> Thanks. Good to have an issue on which I agree with you 100%. I have been urging young people in my constituency to do so” . Modi’s appeal to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar began with the customary ” Respected Sri Sri “.
But the most significant development is the statement of Justice Iyer who was a Modi baiter and also a part of an anti-Modi human rights body till Modi broke ice with him unravelling his agenda before him through an intermediary , just as he has done with several Muslim groups in individual meetings, and won him over with incisive arguments based on his good governance and how his slogan ‘ development of all and appeasement of none ‘ was the only solution to the country’s problems including communal disharmony.
And the way the former socialist turned Judge has been won over by Modi is only indicated by his long statement. Profusely praising Modi’s Solar power initiative in Gujarat which has opened new frontiers for India to tap its yet untapped solar potential Iyer said that Modi’s integrity as a man deserves great praise. “On the whole his administration deserves national support and so I wish him the rare opportunity to be Prime Minister, who will implement the great principle of Swaraj and eradicate poverty,” he said.
But more surprising were the following lines : “I am a socialist by conviction and support Modi on the assumption that he, too, is a socialist and an advocate of human rights and Indian fraternity, justice, social, economic and political of the Gandhian ethos,” Iyer added.
INDIA TODAY
