Shah gets a rousing welcome

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 20

On the beats of dhol and showering of petals, BJP national president Amit Shah was welcomed on his arrival to the City Beautiful by party workers. A roadshow was taken out from the international airport to the party office, Kamlam, in Sector 33.

The BJP chief is on a 95-day country-wide tour which began in Jammu last month. With an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, he is travelling across states to make a starategy and find ways to strengthen the party at the grassroots level.

Shah, who was scheduled to land at 10 am, reached at 10:40 am at international airport. He was received by local president Sanjay Tandon, MP Kirron Kher, party in charge Prabhat Jha, former MP Satya Pal Jain, Mayor Asha Kumari Jaswal and others. 

As he came out of the airport, media lens and selfie-driven workers gathered around him. There were many seen going live on Facebook while walking along side Shah with their cellphones. 

As he reached near his swanky car blue Porsche Cayenne-s, Tandon offered him water, which he refused. Then, the two along with Kher sat in the car. His cavalcade was accompanied by cars and two-wheelers enroute to the party office.Shah was given a rousing welcome at brief receptions in Sectors 48, 47, 46, 45 and the traffic light intersecting Sectors 45 and 33 led by respective area councillors. Shah came out from the car to greet the councillors and their workers on his way. Women workers were draped in saffron sari and suits while men were adorning party caps and mufflers. 

As he reached Kamlam, he was welcomed with chants of “Bharat mata ki jai” and slogans of Modi and the BJP. On reaching Kamlan, he inaugurated the renovated hi-tech party office followed by unveiling of the statue of RSS icon Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay and Nana Deshmukhji e-library. The library has a collection of around 2,000 books on vivid subjects and it will have a research provision too. He later held a review meeting with each councillor and office-bearers.

Traffic jams

• Traffic was diverted en route Amit Shah’s  roadshow as commuters faced jams. He briefly halted at six different chowks en route for welcome where people had to face harassment. 
• Light points of Sec 48, 47, 45/46 and Sec 33/45 among others, saw traffic congestion.

Pickpocketing at the event

• Amit Shah’s roadshow led to pickpocketing of several BJP workers, including nominated councilors Haji Mohd Khursid Ali. Dhanas Mandal president Deepak Uniyal lost his purse containing Rs 10,000.
• “I was here to welcome the party president in Sector 33 when somebody took away the purse from my pocket. I have lodged a DDR with the police in this regard,” said Uniyal.
• “Many, including me, were victims of pickpocketing during the roadshow. I did not have much cash but my documents were there in the purse,” rued Ali. Workers lost mobile phones and purses.

Party a united front

• Faction-ridden local BJP leaders on Saturday put up a united show when it came to welcoming the party boss. From local president Sanjay Tandon to MP Kirron Kher to Mayor Asha Kumari Jaswal, all seemed united during the functions attended by the national president in the city.