Modi's Uttarakhand visit was cheap publicity: JD(U) leader

New Delhi, July 3: Senior Janata Dal (United) Shivanand Tiwari on Tuesday slammed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying that his visit to Uttarakhand in the wake of the massive natural disaster was a cheap publicity stunt.

Tiwari said Modi was trying to be a superhero through such cheap publicity. He also slammed the BJP as a cheap and irresponsible party. Asking why Modi had become desperate, Tiwari said the Lok Sabha elections are still a year away and the truth would be revealed by then.

The JD(U) terminated its 17-year-old alliance with the BJP last month to protest Modi's elevation as the chief of the BJP's poll campaigning committee. Nitish Kumar, party leader and chief minister of Bihar, has been a vocal opponent to projecting Modi as the prime ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Modi had visited the flood-ravaged Uttarakhand last month where thousands have lost their lives and reportedly evacuated 15,000 Gujaratis within a few hours.

The BJP, however, rubbished such reports although the Congress mocked at the Gujarat chief minister over the "Rambo act". Even NDA ally Shiv Sena turned critical of Modi, saying his rescue act was divisive, before mellowing down later.

OneIndia News