FACT: This incident happened on 4th April 2002, when the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Gujarat. When a reporter asked the Prime Minister in his joint press conference with Narendra Modi what message he will like to give the Gujarat Chief Minister, he said: “A ruler should follow Rajdharma. Not differentiate between the subjects on the basis of birth, caste or religion. I always try to do so. I am sure Narendra bhai is also doing so.”
The latter part of the sentence: “I am sure that Narendra Modi is also following Rajdharma” was completely ignored, not reported and it was made to sound as if Vajpayee had said: “Narendra Modi should follow Rajdharma (Implied that he is not doing so now)”.
The entire video is today on YouTube and can be viewed by anyone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5W3RCpOGbQ
The Hindu reported on 5 April 2002, i.e. the next day, in a report titled: “Vajpayee’s advice to Modi” that: “The Prime Minister added, “I believe he is performing his Raj dharma properly.”
On 6 May 2002, the then Prime Minister Vajpayee said the media had only highlighted his remark that the Gujarat Chief Minister should follow raj dharma [ethics of governance], but did not pay much attention to Narendra Modi’s response that he was doing the same. He sought to know whether there was no other way to follow raj dharma other than seeking the resignation of Modi. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/may/06train3.htm
Parts of Narendra Modi’s interview with The Week dated 12 May 2002 are:
“Q.: The Prime Minister openly asked you to observe raj dharma. Does this not show that he is dissatisfied with your performance as chief minister?
A.: Only a part of the statement made by the Prime Minister has been reported. The Prime Minister had also mentioned that “I am confident that Modi-ji is following raj dharma”. A lot can be inferred about the intentions of the media from this reporting of half-truths.”
With the social media and YouTube taking away the monopoly of TV channels, the reality came out. After suppressing the truth for 10 years by not reporting Vajpayee’s next line viz. “I am sure Narendra Modi is also following Rajdharma”, some people tried to find some excuses and said that though Vajpayee said Modi is following Rajdharma, he actually meant that Modi is not. They are free to draw their interpretations, but after telling the whole truth, that Vajpayee said: “I am sure Modi is performing his Rajdharma properly”.
Some more details of this issue are given in the book but not in this website.
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