BJP to hold 'padyatras' as part of Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary celebrations: Amit Shah

Ahmedabad: BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday said party workers would take out ‘padyatras’ across the country to spread the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi as part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of the Father of the Nation. Shah, also the Union home minister, said an official announcement about the initiative will be made by the party in coming days.

The BJP chief was addressing party workers from seven assembly segments which are part of his Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. “In 2022, our country will be celebrating 75 years of Independence and 150 years of Gandhiji’s birth (this year).

“On the occasion of ‘Gandhi 150’, Gujarat BJP workers should set a goal to reach out to the masses and spread Gandhiji’s principles and teachings,” said Shah.

“The party has taken a decision in this regard and an official announcement will be made in days to come.

“On the occasion of ‘Gandhi 150’, party workers would hold 150-hour padyatras at various levels (booth, district, state) across the country to spread Gandhiji’s teachings to the masses,” said the home minister.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “serving people for 18 years (as Gujarat CM and as PM) without taking a vacation”, Shah said he has eliminated three “demons”, namely casteism, dynastic politics and appeasement politics.

“After 1960s, elections used to be fought on the issues of casteism, dynastic politics and appeasement politics.

“But Narendra bhai has put the final nail on the coffin of these three demons of our democracy in this Lok Sabha election and started a new tradition of politics of performance,” he said.

Referring to the air (2019) and surgical (2016) strikes on terror camps in Pakistan, Shah said the people of India had been for long waiting for a PM like Modi. “We stormed into Pakistan and eliminated terrorists,” he said.

“No one can be allowed to play with our security in the name of peace. We want peace with respect and I believe that our power will become the base for a lasting peace,” said the home minister.

Referring to BJP’s landslide victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Shah urged cadres to not rest till the party forms its governments in states like West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

He said though the media as well as political analysts had doubt about BJP’s victory in the 2019 polls, the party won 303 Lok Sabha seats.