Honour Gandhi with village padayatras: Modi

BJP MPs have been asked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to undertake a padayatra of their constituencies between October 2 and 31, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel respectively.

“Prime Minister Modi told MPs that everyone should carry out a 150-km padayatra in their constituencies during the period starting from October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, to October 31, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,” Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi said after a parliamentary meeting with the Prime Minister.

The party programmes are linked to the government’s plan to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary on a large scale and promoting the Gandhian ideology.

The 15-km a day padyatra will cover “every booth” and the lawmakers will use the chance to propagate Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings.

“Modiji told MPs that 150 groups should be formed in each constituency which will cover 150 kms and the party MPs will be part of these groups. The idea is to reach out to the public and seek their feedback on the government’s work and their expectations from us,” Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said.

Modi also suggested that plantation of trees, cleanliness and other issues related to the village can also become part of the planned marches, Meghwal added.

The prime minister’s message to keep the party MPs in action comes at a time when the BJP is preparing for a round of Assembly polls in the party-ruled Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand by the end of the year and February March next year in Aam Aadmi party-ruled Delhi.