Sidelights

*There was huge public response to Narendra Modi’s rally not only in Jammu City or Jammu region but from Kashmir and Ladakh also from where a large number of people had reached days in advance to join it. A large number of people from Kashmir, Leh, Kargil and different parts of Jammu region were seen in the rally.
*A number of Gujjars attired in special dresses were special attraction in the rally and were seen chanting ‘Modi-Modi’ regularly.
*Police had made tight security arrangements for the rally with top senior officers from entire Jammu region and nearly 4000 cops deployed for security of the rally venue as well as entire City. About 400 CCTVs had been installed in the City.
*There was consensus even among the BJP’s rivals that today’s rally addressed by Modi was biggest ever in the history of Jammu and Kashmir though the figures varied. While some agencies put the figures between 80,000 to 90,000, others said it was “above 1 lakh’’ as many people couldn’t get inside the stadium due to large rush outside.
*A travel to the City gave enough indications that the administration, at the behest of the Government or some Ministers, had tried to ensure minimum presence at the rally. They had sealed such roads with concertina wire, which were no way linked to MA Stadium or concerned the security measures. This was nothing but deliberate attempt on part of the authorities to flop the rally but such was the enthusiasm among children, youths, women and elders that they preferred to walk several kilometers but were not ready to oblige the Government and the administration by missing the rally.
*The people were seen cursing the administration and the Government on seeing concertina wires near Shakuntla Road or inside the Old City. What is the fun of this? they asked. It is nothing but a clear attempt to prevent the people from reaching MA Stadium, an 80 years old Prakash Chand of Old City said while walking towards MA Stadium from Bus Stand. He said he has faced Emergency of 1977 and such restrictions can’t deter him from reaching the rally venue.
*Not only private vehicles were stopped from proceeding towards the rally venue, even people walking on foot were also stopped by cops at various places and asked to take other routes to extend their walk but the people kept on walking.
*An elderly citizen said he had seen the stadium packed to capacity only in 1980 or 1981 (he didn’t recall the exact year) during wrestling of Dara Singh and China’s Choing Paing Thang but that was a sporting event. However, he said former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had addressed 25,000 to 30,000 people at Parade Ground during her tenure.
*Never in my life, I have seen such a massive crowd and that too voluntarily presence, said another elderly man of Old City, Pratap Chand. Many people reached the venue on their own just to have a glimpse of Modi and listen to him.
* Authorities had installed bullet proof enclosure for the address of Modi in view of security threat to the rally, which had been rated by security agencies as very high. He spoke from the normal dais from where other Speakers had addressed the rally.
*People had started reaching MA Stadium with the onset of dawn to capture front rows for better view of Modi. The crowd continued to swell with every passing minute and by 1 pm when Modi reached MA Stadium, it was jam packed excepting the area left open for security reasons around the dais.
*Despite restrictions, some of them unwarranted, it went to the credit of police and para-military forces that the biggest ever rally in the history of Jammu completely passed off peacefully with no untoward incident reported from any place. Even the people, who were being stopped by the cops from proceedings towards the rally venue from a particular route, didn’t object and took another route to reach the venue.
*Several Congress workers were also seen at the rally of Modi and chanting slogans in his favour. Seeing them, some people quoted: “coming events cast their shadows before’’.
*Even the media persons being taken from Police Control Room to MA Stadium with police protection were stopped at two places by police to prevent them from reaching the rally venue. It was after the intervention of senior officers that their vehicles reached MA Stadium.
*Several intellectuals including doctors, Professors, educationists, retired journalists, prominent businessmen, industrialists and other citizens were also seen sitting with the crowd to listen to Modi.
*Modi reached the venue of the rally at the stroke of 1 pm, two hours beyond schedule but there was no let up in jubilation with people including women giving a standing ovation to him. For about five minutes, there was nothing audible at the rally venue except the chant of ‘Modi-Modi’, ‘Desh Ka Pradhan Mantri Kaisa Ho, Narendra Modi Jaisa Ho’, ‘Sher Aa Gaya Sher Aa Gaya, Bharat Mata Ka Sher Aa Gaya’, ‘Bachi Mange Maa Ki Godhi, Desh Mange Narendra Modi’ and ‘Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi’.
*Modi and Rajnath Singh along with other party leaders waved to the crowd. There was massive clapping, hooting, shouting and dancing by the people on the arrival of Modi. Some of the people remarked that they have never seen such a standing ovation given to any leader by the crowd.
*For sometimes, it seems the crowd had gone mad for Modi as they didn’t stop clapping, hooting and shouting in favour of Modi on his arrival at the dais.
*There was again thunderous applause in the entire stadium when Modi started his address at 1.45 pm. Again for several minutes, there was massive sloganeering eulogizing Modi from every nook and corner of the stadium.
*BJP state president Jugal Kishore Sharma was the only leader, who got the time to speak in front of Modi and Rajnath Singh.
*Modi’s address lasted exactly 45 minutes. He concluded his speech at 2.30 pm and left for New Delhi in private jet.
*Modi began and concluded his speech with ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’.
*After the MA Stadium was jam-packed and no space was left for the people to get in, several persons stood up on roof top of the adjacent houses to listen to Modi and had a view of him. Police had tough time on controlling the crowd jumping roofs of the houses or whatever space they could get to listen to the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate.
*Many people were still left out and were seen standing close to gates of the Stadium for listening to Modi’s speech.
* People in most parts of Jammu, who couldn’t make it to the rally venue, complained that they couldn’t see Modi’s live address due to different reasons. While in some areas, the power supply was switched off, in other areas, cable services were snapped. As most of the rallies of Modi are telecast live, the people said they were deprived of it and smelled some conspiracy behind snapping of power and cable connections.
* Spouse of a  senior bureaucrat of Jammu was also sitting in the crowd to listen to Modi. The bureaucrat himself came to the rally venue to leave his wife.
* A number of police personnel on duty at the rally venue were seen shaking their heads or smiling during Modi’s speech virtually endorsing his view point. Some of the female cops were seen listening to Modi with rapt attention.
* Some people objected to the BJP slogan of ‘Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi’ on the ground that the word ‘Har Har’ should not have been used. They were of the view that these words are only used for the God.
* Modi and Rajnath Singh were offered Dogra Pagri, Ladakhi ‘khatak’ and Kashmiri flowers by the leaders of all three regions.
* The State BJP leaders were unable to hide their feelings after seeing such a massive crowd at the MA Stadium. Most of them admitted that they hadn’t seen 20000 plus crowd even at the rally of Atal Behari Vajpayee and it was a rare opportunity for them to address the large number of gathering.
* A helicopter repeatedly conducted recee of MA Stadium taking many rounds by flying very low over it. The persons inside it were keeping a strict vigil on any untoward movement.
* The BJP had put up large cutouts of Modi and Rajnath apart from Vajpayee, LK Advani, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Shyama Prasad Mookerjee and Prem Nath Dogra in front of the dais.

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