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Votes on mind, govt plans rallies in historical cities

Eying the upcoming Assembly elections in three states, the Centre has planned to celebrate the 70th Independence Day as the celebration of nationalism. It is like “vote bhakti’ to “desh bhakti” as Cabinet ministers would be holding public meeting in cities with a historical significance.

According to sources, the celebrations will be organised for a month, starting August 9. The meetings are scheduled to be held in Meerut, Mathura, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Kanpur, etc, in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. While in Punjab – Amritsar, Patiala, Bhathinda, Pathankot, etc – feature on the list of the government’s itinerary for big rallies, where the ministers are likely to publicise the achievements of the Narendra Modi government in the past two years.

Besides UP and Punjab, some Cabinet ministers may be directed to address meetings in Mussoorie, Dehradun, Nainital, Haridwar, etc, in Uttarakhand, where the polls are scheduled in 2017. Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu has been tasked to chart out the plans for the ministers’ visit. 

Naidu is being assisted by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and MoS for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. According to sources, the final plan would be submitted to Prime Minister’s Office, after the finalisation of dates, cities and task assigned to each minister. “The major thrust of the 70th I-Day celebrations will be on spreading the message among masses that the NDA government has managed to do those things, which Congress failed to do in the last 60 years,” a source said.

The source added that ministers would be highlighting pro-farmer and youth-centric initiatives of the Modi government, which include Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Soil Health Card, National Agricultural Market (e-NAM), Skill India, digitisation of employment portal, interest-free loan facilities for students pursuing technical and management and courses, etc.

“It is not ‘desh bhakti’, it is just ‘vote bhakti’. Ministers would be addressing gathering at places of historical significance implies that the BJP is pulling out all stops to activate its party cadre in poll-bound states. It has nothing to do with nationalism, but it won’t go wrong if one dubs it as selfism,” said political commentator Arvid Mohan.

Moreover, the BJP has planned to celebrate I-Day in a grand way by carrying out a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ for a week from August 15 to 22.

vote-bhakti
  •    In Uttar Pradesh, the meetings are scheduled to be held in Meerut, Mathura, Ayodhya,      Varanasi and Kanpur 
  •   In Punjab, public meetings will be organised in Amritsar, Patiala, Bhathinda and Pathankot 
  •   Besides UP and Punjab, some Cabinet ministers may be directed to address meetings in Mussoorie, Dehradun, Nainital, Haridwar, etc, in Uttarakhand
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