E-Paper
Who is Mohini Gowda, whom PM Modi met during poll campaign in Karnataka today?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Mohini Gowda during his campaign visit to Sirsi in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Mohini Gowda, a fruit seller from Ankola, during his campaign visit to Sirsi in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district on Monday. After landing at the helipad, Modi met her before proceeding with a poll rally in Sirsi.
In a photo shared by news agency ANI, PM Modi can be seen exchanging greetings with folded hands, a gesture Mohini Gowda reciprocates towards the prime minister.
The Uttar Kannada Lok Sabha constituency, along with 13 other constituencies in Karnataka, is scheduled to go for voting during the third phase of the general election on May 7.
Who is Mohini Gowda? What are the deeds that bring her here?
Mohini Gowda, a fruit seller from Ankola, has garnered attention for her admirable actions. She wraps fruits in leaves at the Ankola Bus Stand, ensuring eco-friendly packaging. What sets her apart is her commitment to cleanliness as even after customers discard the leaves in the bus stand, she collects them and disposes of them in the nearby dustbin.
PM Modi on Monday praised her for her dedication to cleanliness. A viral video captured her picking up waste around the bus stand in Uttar Kannada's Ankola and throwing it into the dustbin. Despite the distance, she takes it upon herself to maintain cleanliness.
Sharing the video, an X (formerly Twitter) user said, “This lady is a fruit seller, and she sells fruits wrapped in leaves at Ankola Bus stand, Karnataka. Some people, after finishing eating, throw the leaves from the bus window. But this lady goes there, picks up the leaves, and puts them in the dustbin. It's not her work, but she's doing it.”
PM Modi during rally after meeting Mohini Gowda
Following his meeting with Mohini Gowda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Sirsi. Modi said the current ruling government boasts a historic representation of MPs and MLAs from SC, ST, and OBC communities. They comprise 60% of the Union Council of Ministers.
“Congress never believed in making leaders from the Adivasi or Dalit community, whereas the BJP has always tried to give a higher representation to the backward classes. For the first time since independence, there are many MPs and MLAs from SC, ST, and OBC communities in the ruling government... They form about 60% of the Union Council of Ministers,” he said.
Additionally, he highlighted that the BJP government had “transformed 100 districts, previously labelled as backwards by Congress, into Aspirational Districts.” PM Modi said that over the past decade, more than 25 crore people in these areas have been uplifted from poverty.
