Uttarakhand: CM Dhami presents 'Hudka' to PM Modi at Rishikesh rally

RISHIKESH: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami presented a 'Hudka' (a musical instrument) made by Uttarakhand artisans to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the rally stage in Rishikesh on Thursday. The Prime Minister was seen tapping the 'Hudka' with his fingers on the stage at the IDPL grounds here. While speaking at a public rally, Dhami said, "The country has awakened, moved forward and changed now.

The new India is vigilant and sensitive towards its future. Those who implemented 'Emergency' in the country, those who have divided society into castes, and those who did many scams are rattled today because of PM Modi, as the PM's mantra is 'na khaunga na khaane dunga'." Meanwhile, referring to Uri surgical strike and Balakot air strike, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rishikesh said that in the 10 years of the BJP government at the Centre "terrorists are being killed in their own homes".

Addressing a public rally, the Prime Minister highlighted the major decisions taken by his government, emphasising that it was under the NDA regime that Article 370 was abrogated from Jammu and Kashmir. "Today, there is a strong government in the country. Under this 'mazboot Modi sarkar, atankwaadiyon ko ghar mein ghus ke mara jata hai'. The Indian tricolour has become a guarantee of security even in the war zone.

After seven decades, Article 370 was scrapped from Jammu and Kashmir and a law was made against triple talaq. It was our strong government which ensured 33 per cent reservation in Parliament and the poor of the general category also got 10 per cent reservation," the PM said. Uttarakhand has five Lok Sabha seats and the state will go to the polls in a single phase on April 19. The BJP has fielded Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Anil Baluni, Ajay Tamta, Ajay Bhatt and Trivendra Singh Rawat from Tehri Garhwal, Garhwal, Almora (SC), Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar and Haridwar Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively.

The Congress has nominated Jot Singh Guntsola, Ganesh Godiyal, Pradeep Tamta, Prakash Joshi and Virendra Rawat as its candidates for Tehri Garhwal, Garhwal, Almora (SC), Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar and Haridwar Lok Sabha constituencies. While two Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand -- Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar and Almora -- are located in the Kumaon region, the remaining three seats--Haridwar, Tehri Garhwal and Garhwal (Pauri)--are in the Garhwal region. The BJP is looking to sweep yet again in all five Lok Sabha seats of Uttarakhand, as it did in both the 2014 and 2019 general elections. Union Minister of State for Tourism and Defence Ajay Bhatt had won the Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar seat in 2019, defeating former chief minister Harish Rawat by 3,39,096 votes. His victory margin was the biggest of the four other winning BJP candidates.