Narendra Modi tones down his speeches

New Delhi: After 17 blasts ripped through Ahmedabad on Saturday, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been exhorting the citizens to maintain calm and peace.

The firebrand CM has been restrained and moderate in his speeches, even though many were fearing strongly worded remarks.

“I appeal to the people of Gujarat to remain calm and not let these terrorists be successful at instilling fear in us,” he said shortly after the blasts.

Other BJP leaders, though, wasted no time in scoring political points.

"You have a terrorist who planned an attack on the Indian Parliament," senior BJP leader L K Advani said demanding the revival of Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and accusing the Central Government of being soft on terror.

Political inflammatory rhetoric, however, has remained conspicuously absent from Modi’s public addresses. The focus has been on getting the situation under control as soon as possible, with the Amy staging flag marches within hours of the blasts.

"We will defeat terrorism through development and progress,” he said calling for a national strategy to fight terrorism. "Gujarat will fight it out, but the Centre must help and lead. Gujarat's security concerns are being overlooked by the Centre."

However, his new political restraint has led to many people wondering if could tame a possible communal eruption now, why couldn’t he do it in 2002 as well.

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