After roadshow, Modi pays homage to blast victims in Coimbatore
In a social media post, Mr. Sekhar said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a floral tribute to the victims of the Coimbatore bomb blast in 1998. I reminded him of those tearful moments. He enquired about the pain I have endured as a survivor of the bomb blast. His gesture touched my heart deeply. I am proud to be a part of Modi Parivar!”.
People started arriving at the venue at R.S. Puram from 4 p.m. and waited behind barricades for almost three hours.
Prabha, a local resident, said she was a big fan of Mr. Modi.
“The Prime Minister is paying tribute to all those who died in the bomb blasts, including Muslims,” BJP State president K. Annamalai said earlier in the day.
It was a ‘saffron wave’ from Mettupalayam Road to R.S. Puram as Mr. Modi, flanked by Mr. Annamalai and Union Minister L. Murugan, waved to the public from an open vehicle. The party had put up stages in about 20 locations for the beneficiaries of various schemes to see Mr. Modi. BJP flags, masks resembling Mr. Modi, and showers of bright marigold petals were seen all through the stretch. The crowd chanted ‘Meendum Modi, Vendum Modi’.
The BJP cadre made several announcements asking the crowd to cooperate with the police. “PM Modi represents development, modernisation and selfreliance. With this roadshow, we are sure that the BJP is doing well in Tamil Nadu,” said P. Kathiravan, a BJP worker.
Members of the Toda tribe from the Nilgiris district were seen at the roadshow, holding placards in support of Mr. Modi.
The roadshow also witnessed the display of several traditional art forms of the State such as Kummiattam, Kollattam and Kattaiyattam.
Despite regulations barring schools from engaging students in election campaigns, around 50 students from classes VI to VIII of a government school in the city, accompanied by a few teachers, were seen at the event.
Chief Education Officer M. Balamurali said schools were instructed to refrain from such practices. “We will investigate,” he added.
On one of the stages, a statue of poetsaint Tiruvalluvar was initially adorned with a saffron shawl, which was later replaced with a white shawl.