BJP urges people to join Narendra Modi's June 23 rally

JAMMU: The BJP state unit on Wednesday appealed to the people to turn out in large numbers for the party's June 23 rally in Madhopur, slated to be addressed by its newly anointed national election campaign chairman Narendra Modi.

"This is going to be one of Modi's first visits to any state after taking over as chairman of BJP's national election campaign committee," BJP state president Jugal Kishore Sharma said while making the appeal for the rally to be held on the border of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

Interestingly, the scheduled visit of senior BJP leader L K Advani to Jammu on the same day has been cancelled, owing to his engagements in Delhi.

"June 23, when Modi is scheduled to arrive at Madhopur, holds special significance for BJP because it was on this day in 1953, Jan Sangh founder Dr Shyama Prasad Mookerjee died in a Srinagar jail," Sharma said.

"People of the state are keen to hear Modi's views on the current situation in the country and future roadmap to get rid of corruption and mis-governance of the UPA rule," he said.

On Modi being pitted as a divisive and communal force, Sharma added, "This question has been long settled now and people know this is a false propaganda by those who are scared of the ever growing popularity of Narendra Modi."