Modi starts his 72-hour fast; top BJP leaders, Badal arrive

Ahmedabad, Sep 17 (PTI) Western Indian state Gujarat
Chief Minister Narendra Modi Saturday began his three-day fast
for "peace, unity and communal harmony" in the BJP-ruled
state.
The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) stalwart's 72-hour fast
under 'Sadbhavna Mission' coincides with his 62nd birthday.
The venue, Gujarat University Convention Centre here - where a
host of leaders from the BJP and its key ally Shiromani Akali
Dal have arrived - has been put under strict vigil by the
police.
On the eve of fast, Modi had issued a statement that was
interpreted as his first sign of regret over the 2002
post-Godhra communal violence.
"Constitution of India is supreme for us. As a Chief
Minister of the state, pain of anybody in the state is my
pain. (Delivering) Justice to everyone is the duty of the
state," Modi had said Friday.
Modi, in an attempt to reach out to the minority
community, had said the state has realised that communal
frenzy and casteism never helped anybody grow in the country
and expressed "gratitude" to those who pointed out his
mistakes in the last 10 years.
BJP leaders like L K Advani, Arun Jaitely, Mukhtar Abbas
Naqvi, Sahanawaz Hussain, Smriti Irani and Chief Minister of
Himachal Pradesh Prem Kumar Dhumal, among others, were present
when Modi began his fast.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, whose party
Shiromani Akali Dal is a key member of the BJP-led National
Democratic Alliance (NDA), was also present.
Leaders of Shiv Sena, BJP's ally for over two decades,
and emissaries of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha of
AIADMK are also expected to come here to in support of Modi.
In response to Modi's move, Gujarat Congress leaders
Shankarsinh Vaghela and Arjun Modhvadia also started their
fast on a footpath in front of Sabarmati Ashram.
After the Supreme Court order in a Gujarat riots case on
Monday that gave him some relief, Modi announced the fast for
three days calling it a 'Sadbhavna Mission'.
Sources in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation(AMC) said
that a small room at the GU Convention Hall has been converted
into a rest room for Modi.
The state Government has made arrangements to provide
real time information about the unfolding events at Modi's
fast venue.
The entire event can be witnessed by those with Internet
access through live webcast on Modi's official website.
Tight security arrangements have been made at fast venues
of Modi and Vaghela, police said.