Thousands of people packed the DDA premises at Yamuna Kadal in northeast Delhi on Saturday evening for Prime Minister Modi's Vijay Sankalp Sabha (Victory Resolution Rally). Many people were unable to enter the area and stood in the street overlooking the grounds, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
Some attendees held cutouts emblazoned with Mr. Modi's name in glitter, while others chanted “Ab Ki Baal 400 Par” and “Jai Shri Ram” and chanted “Sanatan Rashtra”. Some participants called for its establishment.
Jyoti, 40, who came from Lajpat Nagar to participate in the rally, said, “We support the Bharatiya Janata Party because it gave us what the people wanted – Ram Mandir.'' ” he said. The 40-year-old was part of the huge group of Sant Rampal Maharaj sect.
Jyoti claimed that around 25,000 to 30,000 participants were from this sect.
Vijender Kumar (44), who runs an electronics store nearby, seems to have no complaints against the current government. “Without a doubt, this government is coming back to power with over 400 seats,” he said, adding, “Whatever the opposition says is all noise. They don't have the country's interests at heart…”
His friend Mukesh Jain, 44, a ready-made garments seller from Gandhi Nagar, said: “The Delhi government is blaming others for Delhi's problems…When crimes occur in the city, they blame the police. What did they do? He (CM Arvind Kejriwal) says that the BJP put him in jail, he must have done something wrong. Why would they put him in jail?”
However, not everyone who attended the rally supported the Bharatiya Janata Party. Shabi Sharma, 32, a chartered accountant, stood outside the premises and watched the rally with his friends. “I don't really like either candidate,” she said.
Rahul Sharma, 26, said, “We have only seen (Bharatiya Janata Party MP Manoj) Tiwari as a poster, never in person. He hasn't done much as an MP. .”
Asked what he wanted him to do, he said, “I mean, look at this ground,” he said, waving his hand around the rally site, where a thick plume of dust kicked up by participants enveloped the area. . It will be a jogging area. You’re at our jogging track now,” Sharma said with a hearty laugh. Then he pointed to his right and said, “You can see our lake here too. It is full only once a year, during the monsoon.''
© Indian Express Private Limited
Date first uploaded: May 19, 2024, 05:49 IST
