Pramod Kumar
A day after being sworn-in as Gujarat Chief Minister for the third consecutive term, Shri Narendra Modi was accorded a heroic welcome at party headquarters in New Delhi on December 27. When Shri Modi reached the party office he was welcomed with a showering of rose petals and chanting of slogans by highly energetic party workers. The loud drumbeats found an equal match in the deafening sound of fire crackers. While walking to the makeshift stage at the lawns, Shri Modi made a victory sign, which was instantly reciprocated by thousands of V-shaped fingers.
The reception ceremony was organised by Delhi unit of BJP. National president Shri Nitin Gadkari, senior party leaders including Shri Prakash Jawadekar, Shri Vijay Goel, Shri Balbir Punj, Delhi state president Shri Vijendra Gupta and others were also present on the occasion. Prior to reaching the party office, Shri Modi called on former Prime Minister Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, Shri LK Advani, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Smt Sushma Swaraj and Shri Arun Jaitley.
Such a highly energetic scene was seen at the party headquarters after a long gap. The whole of Ashoka Road, where the party headquarters is situated, was packed with cars and the BJP workers. A stampede-like situation arose when Shri Modi arrived at the office around 4.40 pm and his security guards had to jostle with party supporters to make way for his vehicle.
The ‘PM-PM-PM’ and ‘Desh ka neta kaisa ho, Narendra Modi jaisa ho’ slogans interrupted the speech of both Shri Modi and Shri Nitin Gadkari. Giving full credit of the victory to the party and workers Shri Modi said, “I have come here to thank my party and supporters. It was possible for a simple worker like me to become Chief Minister of a state only because of the BJP’s culture and potential.”
In his heart touching speech Shri Modi also remembered the days when he spent years at the same party office as a full time worker. “I spent many years of my life here at 11, Ashoka Road. In a small room I used to do the work that party gave me.” He said in the past whatever responsibilities have been given to him, he shouldered them with full dedication and in future too whatever responsibility he is be given, he would fulfill them with the equal dedication and commitment. “I would request all of you to come to Gujarat and see our current governance, if you have any suggestions for improvement, please let me know. As a party worker, I will always welcome your suggestions and will work towards implementing them,” he appealed to all.
Slamming the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, Shri Modi said the ‘nation is in the grip of pessimism, as the Centre has failed to achieve economic targets and leadership does not have a plan to connect with youth of the country’. Citing the 11 per cent Gross Domestic Product of Gujarat, he sought to project Gujarat’s economic model as an alternate to that of the UPA. At a time when the Union government is failing on various accounts, ‘Gujarat and its progress are being discussed inside and outside the country’, he added.
Earlier, Shri Nitin Gadkari praised Narendra Modi for the gift he had got in the form of the party scoring a massive win in Gujarat elections for a third time. “Gujarat is an example before the nation,” Gadkari said. He further said Gujarat is the best example for a development model that India should adopt. Shri Gadkari also presented Shri Modi with a Swami Vivekananda memento.
