Security agencies were in a tizzy when Prime Minister Narendra Modi setting aside security protocol stepped out of bulletproof SUV and almost walked in to the crowd during his nine-km-long road show here on Saturday.
Mr. Modi, who arrived to attend party’s national executive committee meeting being held in the city, was accorded a rousing reception by BJP workers from Biju Patnaik International Airport to Janata Maidan, the venue of BJP’s NEC meeting.
Repeating almost a Varanasi road-show, Mr. Modi waved at thousands of onlookers standing on both sides of road while hanging from his SUV.
But nobody at city’s Jayadev Vihar Square, where BJP’s ST and SC wing leaders were waiting to welcome him, had imagined that Mr. Modi would step out of the SUV and walk closer to barricade to reciprocate greetings from the crowd.
Special Protection Group personnel following Mr. Modi were expecting him to stop there and get back to the vehicle. But he kept walking on Jayadev Vihar road. The SPG guards had a tough time to give a cover to him. Along with him, thousands of onlookers, who had already broken the barricade, started matching his steps. Seeing PM amidst them, the vociferous supporters resorted to frenzied sloganeering, ‘Modi, Modi’.
Earlier, as soon as the special IAF chopper carrying Mr. Modi touched down runway of the airport, thousands of BJP workers, who had been waiting for hours under blazing Sun, erupted in jubilation.
Conches, Hulhuli (traditional auspicious Odia sound usually uttered by women) and drums went off in unison as Prime Minister was received by Union Ministers Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan and other senior party leaders.
Convoy of Mr. Modi started moving slowly from airport and his first glimpse triggered frenzied response from his supporters. An IG ranked officer from Odisha police was supervising the PM’s movement along the road.
Mr. Modi had halted at Airport square and waved to crowd after stepping out from his vehicle. It is to be noted that BJP had planned the impressive road-show in order to compensate a public meeting which was not feasible due to the scorching heat.
Prior to PM’s visit, the entire 9.5 km stretch from Biju Patnaik International Airport to Janata Maidan was completely sanitised to ensure that the road-show of goes without any hiccups. Almost every street in the capital city was inundated with saffron flags and cut-outs of PM Modi.
Right from the morning, BJP office bearers from different districts with traditional dance troupes had started gathering and taken position along the road-show route.
BJP’s women wing accorded traditional welcome to Mr. Modi near Raj Bhawan where he had a brief halt before proceeding towards the meeting venue.
