Prime Minister Narendra Modi watches the live telecast of Surya Tilak on idol of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya's Ram temple.
Credit: X/@narendramodi
Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chanted the slogan of Jai Shri Ram and Ram Laxman Janki, Jai Bolo Hanuman Ki...while addressing a massive Lok Sabha polls campaign rally in Assam's Nalbari district almost at the time when priests at Ayodhya Ram temple illuminated the forehand of Lord Ram with "suryatilak."
Modi also asked the crowd to switch on the flashlights of their mobile phones and chant Jai Shri Ram slogans multiple times to pay their obeisance to Lord Ram at Ayodhya and be part of the "massive celebration of birthday festival of Lord Shri Ram."
"Today I may not be in Ayodhya but I want to join this celebration of Suryatilak from here. You also switch on the flash lights of your mobile phones and pay your obeisance to Lord Ram from here," Modi told the crowd just before the Suryatilak celebrations started at Ayodhya. Modi himself chanted the slogan of Jai Shri Ram and Ram Laxman Janki, Jai Bolo Hanuman Ki for at least five times and the crowds followed him. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, president of BJP's regional ally Asom Gana Parishad, Atul Bora and chief of United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), another ally, Promod Boro and other leaders also switched on the flashlights of their mobile phones and chanted the slogans with Modi.
"There is a new atmosphere of celebrations in the nation today when Lord Surya is coming down to Ayodhya to celebrate Lord Ram's birthday. After 500 years, for the first time, birthday of Lord Ram is being celebrated at his home at Ayodhya. Prabhu Ramchandra Ki Jai..." Modi chanted five times and the crowd followed him.
Modi campaigned for candidates of BJP and its allies AGP and UPPL in Barpeta, Darrang-Udalguri and Kokrajhar Lok Sabha constituencies where polling are scheduled on April 26 and May 7. Nalbari, a RSS-stronghold, comes under Barpeta Lok Sabha seat, where Abdul Khaleque of Congress had won in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
BJP had won in Mangaldoi Lok Sabha seat, which was renamed as Darrang-Udalguri by carrying out the delimitation exercise last year while an Independent candidate Naba Kumar Sarania was elected twice from ST-reserved Kokrajhar in 2014 and 2019.
Congress this time, however, replaced Khaleque with Dipen Bayan, a Hindu candidate as Barpeta was turned into a Hindu-majority seat through the delimitaiton exercise, Congress leaders said. Senior AGP leader and former minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury has been fielded as BJP-AGP-UPPL candidate in Barpeta. Dilip Saikia, the sitting MP from Mangaldoi is contesting in Darrang-Udalguri seat while BJP and AGP are supporting UPPL candidate Jayanta Basumatary in Kokrajhat seat.
BJP leaders said Modi chanted the slogans as the Hindus are in majority in the three Lok Sabha constituencies.
No discrimination
Modi highlighted the promises made in the BJP's Sankalp Patra for 2024 Lok Sabha elections and said that there was no discrimination based on caste or religion while offering benefits of the schemes implemented by the NDA government since 2014. "Our Muslim women got relief from the trauma of triple talak as we repealed the tribal talak act. This also provided relief to the family members of such women. There will also be no discrimination in the implementation of the Modi Ki Guarantees which we have made in our Sankalp Patra for 2024 Lok Sabha elections," the PM said.
Modi concluded his speech by changing Jai Shri Ram, three-four times. The PM is scheduled to address another campaign rally in neighbouring Tripura.