Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, June 16
Thousands of BJP workers and local residents welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival in Dharamsala at 11.45 am today. The party workers standing on the roadside showered flower petals on the Prime Minister, who threw them back at them. During an about 10-minute roadshow, the BJP workers raised slogans in the Prime Minister's favour.
The Prime Minister was taken in an open jeep during the roadshow from the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education office to the headquarters of Kangra Central Cooperative Bank. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and state BJP president Suresh Kashyap accompanied him. Anurag Thakur did not take part in the roadshow.
Leaders vie to draw Modi's attention
- Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and BJP president Suresh Kashyap accompanied the Prime Minister on the jeep during the roadshow
- Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur did not take part in the roadshow
- BJP leaders tried to outdo each other to attract Modi's attention
- Forest and Sports Minister Rakesh Pathania came on the shoulders of his supporters
- Dehra MLA Hoshiar Singh also put up an impressive show of strength with his supporters
- Elaborate security arrangements created problems for tourists and local residents
- Schools remained closed though there were no official orders
Political leaders felt that Jai Ram Thakur's presence with the Prime Minister during the roadshow was a BJP's move to project him as the chief ministerial face in the Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders tried to outdo each other during the roadshow. Forest and Sports Minister Rakesh Pathania came there on the shoulders of his supporters. Dehra MLA Hoshiar Singh, who had joined the BJP recently, also put up an impressive show of strength with his supporters.
After the roadshow, Modi went directly to the HPCA cricket stadium to preside over the national conference of Chief Secretaries being organised by the NITI Aayog. In the conference, detailed deliberations were held on the implementation of the National Education Policy, urban governance, crop diversification and achieving self-sufficiency in farm commodities. Deliberations were also held on best practices in states and union territories under these themes. A special session was held on the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Road map to 2047.
Earlier, the Prime Minister's helicopter landed at the SAI ground where he was welcomed by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Governor Rajendra V Arlekar and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur.
Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements made for the roadshow created problems for tourists and local residents. Schools in Dharamsala remained closed though there were no official orders. The school managements took the decision on their own considering difficulties likely to be faced due to the restrictions imposed in the city. Many hoteliers reported cancellation of weekend room bookings.
Courtesy: Tribune News Service