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Modi heads for Chandra Shekhar Azad’s village, address rally in MP

Narendra Modi is set to become the first Prime Minister to visit the birth place of freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad at Bhabhra in Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajpur district.

Updated on: Aug 9, 2016, 10:51:04 IST
Hindustan Times | By , Indore
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Narendra Modi is set to become the first Prime Minister to visit the birth place of freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad at Bhabhra in Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajpur district, where he is scheduled to launch a programme to commemorate the sacrifices of freedom fighters on Quit India day on Tuesday even as a threat of heavy rainfall looms.

Narendra Modi is set to become the first PM to visit the birth place of freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad at Bhabhra in Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajpur district. (PTI File Photo)
Narendra Modi is set to become the first PM to visit the birth place of freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad at Bhabhra in Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajpur district. (PTI File Photo)

Bhabhara is now called Chandra Shekhar Azad Nagar in honour of the freedom fighter and Modi’s visit on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is seen as an obvious attempt to consolidate BJP votes in the tribal belt with a dash of patriotism thrown in.

He will visit Azad’s memorial at Bhabhara and subsequently launch ‘Azadi-70, Yaad Karo Kurbani’ campaign and address a public rally at Jhotrada, situated some 12 km from Bhabhara. According to the official programme, he is to reach Indore airport at 11.55 am and leave for Bhabhara at 12 noon. After the public rally, he will leave for Indore at 2.50 pm before returning to Delhi.

Over one lakh tribals, the districts of Alirajpur, Jhabua, Dhar, Barwani and Khargone in Madhya Pradesh and substantial numbers from adjoining tribal area of Gujarat are expected to attend the rally. The BJP, however, claims that it has aimed at mobilizing over five lakh people.

Local BJP units in both Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have thrown in their might and the administration too is helping by commandeering school buses from Indore to ferry people to the venue.

But the BJP and state government’s plans might become unstuck in case it pours heavily in Bhabhara and Indore, as has been predicted by the weather office. If it rains too heavily, Modi won’t be able to take a helicopter to the rally venue from Indore and will have to travel by road to Bhabhara which is 200 km away.

With agency inputs

  • Punya Priya Mitra
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Punya Priya Mitra

    He is the bureau-in-charge in Indore looking after administration and crime

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