A temporary audio system malfunction in a corner at a huge public rally was an incident which Prime Minister Narendra Modi could have easily ignored. But he broke his speech to use the incident to send a message to all present at the venue in Banka and those watching his speech on television. The message: he cared for the youth.

A temporary audio system malfunction in a corner at a huge public rally was an incident which Prime Minister Narendra Modi could have easily ignored. But he broke his speech to use the incident to send a message to all present at the venue in Banka and those watching his speech on television. The message: he cared for the youth.

Turning the technical glitch into an instant PR exercise, he waited for the snag to be corrected and then dedicated his next few sentences to the youth. “Had it been any other public meeting and the mike had not been working then one can easily guess what would have happened. I bow before the youth who had to face inconvenience. They showed the power of patience and it has to be used for productive purposes,” he said.

‘Ahankar’ (arrogance) is one single word Modi used to denounce Nitish. He made it publicly known that he had not forgotten the insult served to him by Nitish when the latter decided to return the Rs five-crore cheque sent by the Gujarat government for 2008 Kosi flood victims.

“Those who question Modi’s announcement of Rs 1.65 lakh crore special package for Bihar should know that the present state government could not be given even a single rupee because the chief minister’s arrogance is such that even if I send the money he might return it. His arrogance is of such magnitude that he would not care about the amount of the money,” he said.

Banka, the venue for the rally, could well be one of the most backward regions in the state. It is known more for extremism and sand mafias. The road connecting Banka and Bhagalpur, the nearest major town as also its divisional headquarter, is in a bad shape.

Modi countered Nitish’s claim of being a ‘good governance man’ by citing a recent World Bank Report which placed Bihar far lower (27) than neighbouring Jharkhand (3)on development parameters.

He discussed at length how his own vision and that of the government at the centre were guided by the goal of betterment of the poor. He talked about the initiatives like `Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’, housing for all by 2022, Mudra Bank and proposed power connectivity to each household, etc.

“Once you take a decision, I will stand by you. Bihar has to lead the change in the country,” he said.