NAMO TEA STALL OWNER WANTS MODI AS GUEST
VARANASI: A humble tea vendor is driven by one wish here these days. Heeru Yadav wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop by his 60-year-old stall and taste his tea. The PM is scheduled to be in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi for a daylong visit on September 18. NaMo (abbreviation for Narendra Modi) had become a brand of sorts during the 2014 general election, impressing Yadav so much that he renamed his outlet as NaMo tea stall at Pandeyapur crossing in the heart of the ancient city. He also put a big picture of Modi on the display board. Indeed, tea was the flavour of the poll season last year whether it was Modi’s ‘chai pe charcha’ or the fact that he had started life selling tea to train passengers. Heeru, who has been selling tea for over four decades, explains his fascination for the PM and the NaMo tag thus: “He (Modi) is a bright leader. He has the dedication to ensure development in the country. Therefore, I decided to rename my tea stall as NaMo tea stall.” Heeru’s father the late Rajaram Yadav founded the tea stall where animated discussions take place on various issues, including the people’s hopes from Modi, especially in the morning. “Locals have great expectations from Modi. He must do something for the development of the city. It is good that he has spared time to visit Varanasi. He must ensure a solution to several problems being faced by the locals,” says Heeru who initially assisted his father at the shop and later took it over after Rajaram passed away.