Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
In the middle of addressing a press conference on the achievements of the Narendra Modi-led Union government’s nine years in office on Wednesday afternoon, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva received instructions from the national leadership to ensure a grand welcome for the prime minister, who was set to land at Delhi’s Palam airport after concluding his five-day, three-nation visit Thursday morning.
Sachdeva, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, and party spokespersons Harish Khurana, Praveen Shankar Kapoor and Vikram Mittal were enumerating 29 specific examples of the Centre’s infrastructural push for Delhi when the party’s state unit received directions to this effect.
A meeting was arranged, quick calls were made, and messages in Sachdeva’s name were sent out to party functionaries and supporters with the location near the Palam airport and a simple instruction to “reach it in large numbers” by 3 am Thursday.
Hours later, party sources claimed, citing the live broadcast of the felicitation, that the BJP successfully mobilised an estimated 10,000 supporters from across the capital for the impromptu welcome to PM Modi, who visited Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia during his five-day tour. The gathering thronged the vicinity of the Palam airport technical area for kilometres.
BJP national president J P Nadda, Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of State Meenakshi Lekhi, Delhi BJP general secretary Harsh Malhotra, MPs Dr Harsh Vardhan and Hans Raj Hans were part of the programme along with Bidhuri and Sachdeva.
“Thankful for the warm welcome at Delhi airport.” Modi tweeted at 6 am along with a broadcast link from the programme.
“Today, when the prime minister has returned to his country after visiting three countries, how he has promoted the image of India in the last five days makes us proud. I heartily congratulate and welcome the prime minister on behalf of all of you,” Nadda said.
“The governance model of Modi ji has been appreciated the world over. In the last nine years, he has raised India’s stature at the global level,” Nadda added.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi dedicated the pride emanating from India’s growing stature on the world stage to the people terming those part of it “lovers of Maa Bharti.”
“The people present here today are not the people who love Modi ji, they are the people who love Maa Bharti. These are the people who love India. When the name of India shines, the spirit of 140 crore countrymen touches new heights,” he said.
“Whatever time I could avail during this five-day trip, I utilised it in the best possible way for the good of the nation, for taking the best possible decisions for the nation,” he added.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
