BJP leaders liken Shah to ‘Iron Man’ Sardar Patel

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 27

BJP leaders today equated Union Home Minister Amit Shah with first Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who integrated 565 self-governing princely states into one nation post-Independence. At the rally to celebrate two years of the government, BJP working president JP Nadda, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur and Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said Shah would always be remembered for fulfilling the dream of one united nation by scrapping Article 370.

More than 150 hoardings of BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Jai Ram Thakur and Anurag Thakur, were put up in the city.A 10-minute video, prepared by the Information and Public Relations Department, highlighting the achievements of the government in the past two years was shown. Dressed in traditional attire, BJP workers from Jubbal-Kotkhai performed natti near the Scandal Point.The speech of Shah was interrupted for a few seconds when an ambulance passed through the crowded Ridge to reach the IGMC. Seventeen makeshift toilets were set up. However, tourists visiting the Jakhoo temple had to go through a harrowing time as they were not aware that the route from The Ridge was closed. “We had to take an alternative route from Jodha Niwas to reach the temple,” said Ankit, a tourist from Ludhiana. Over 300 buses and 3,000 small vehicles coming from various parts of the state were stopped at Dhalli, Totu and the ISBT. The shuttle service was provided to the BJP workers. However, a traffic jam was witnessed on the Shimla bypass as the HRTC buses were parked along the road. Nine big screens were installed at various places. HRTC buses carrying workers did not stop at Pabghati near Jubbarhatti, leaving passengers in the lurch.

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