‘Doctor saheb’ carries war cry to streets

NEW DELHI: There was a sea of

saffron

in

Shalimar Bagh

early on Tuesday. Chants of

“Modi

, Modi” blared through loudspeakers while supporters stood in welcome with flowers as BJP’s

Chandni Chowk

candidate, Dr Harsh Vardhan, embarked on his morning padyatra in the predominately Agarwal locality.


Speaking from the microphone, BJP workers declared the arrival of Harsh Vardhan. Fittingly for a man popularly known as ‘Doctor Saheb’, the padyatra kicked off from a clinic. With saffron turbans and stoles, supporters stood in a straight line, flowers in their hands. Chants of “Phir ek baar Modi Sarkar” rang in the air. Dressed casually in a Polo T-shirt and sporting a turban, Harsh Vardhan was mobbed by people as he as he got off the car.

A sitting MP from Chandni Chowk, he walked through the colony, stopping every now and then to chat with residents. With folded hands, Harsh Vardhan urged them to vote Narendra Modi back to power. The intense heat was hardly a deterrent as the 64-year-old veteran showed no signs of tiredness. Supporters and party workers followed, beating drums and showering with him flowers.

Many stood on the roofs or peeped from windows of their homes to catch a glimpse of their leader. At one point, the electric speaker conked off, but that couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd. Harsh Vardhan often picked up pace, forcing those accompanying him into a sprint. Along the road, he spoke with several people on e-rickshaw and cycle rickshaws. Many stopped their cars to say “namaste” to him.

The padyatra ended at Jhoolelal Mandir where members of the Sindhi community vowed their support to BJP amid chants of “Aayo Lal, Jhoolelal”. Felicitating Harsh Vardhan, they claimed that the entire community was behind him.

Harsh Vardhan said: “Whenever we think of the Sindhi community, we think of (LK) Advani and how he has inspired us.” Exuding optimism, he added: “After seeing Modi work for five years, I am certain he will get a much more impressive and historic victory and, in a few years, you will see the new India of our dream. The new India will be much more beautiful than the country’s glorious past.”

Exhorting people to cast their vote, he said: “Voting should be considered a national duty. If you give your aashirwaad to Modiji, it will be an aashirwaad to India.”

He asked people to convince family and friends to vote too. Joking about how some people tend to take vacations during elections he said: “Delhi people have a thing about going to Shimla and Mussoorie. Go there after the elections. Till then, join our morcha. On May 23, we will give you happy news.”

Harsh Vardhan later obliged supporters by clicking selfies with them and ended the roadshow by listing his achievements as an MP. He claimed that he would win with even bigger margin than last time.