Thrissur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega roadshow here on Wednesday, accompanied by actor-turned-BJP leader Suresh Gopi and party’s State president K. Surendran, addressing two lakh women as part of a women’s conference after the roadshow.
The Prime Minister was in the city to address the conference ‘Women’s power with Modi’ organised by the Kerala unit of the BJP to express gratitude for passing the Women’s Reservation Bill.
Thrissur city was adorned with BJP flags, saffron balloons, ribbons and banners painting the city saffron. The BJP workers paraded cut-outs of Modi and raised slogans anticipating the Prime Minister’s visit.
He was showered with bright saffron and yellow marigold petals throughout his roadshow. Modi moved in an open vehicle from the General Hospital junction to Naikanal, the venue of the women’s conference.
As he walked to the venue, people cheered and raised slogans as Modi waved at them. As only women were allowed into the venue of the conference, men thronged both sides of the Swaraj Round.
During his speech, the Prime Minister said his surname 24 times. The phrase ‘Modiyude guarantee’/ Modi ki guarantee (Modi’s guarantee) was said 18 times in Malayalam and its Hindi variant, twice.
He used the phrase ‘Modi ne’ while reminding the women about their various concerns that he resolved. PM Modi also said ‘mothers and sisters’ in Malayalam 10 times.
During the approximately 19-minute speech by the Prime Minister, the remainder of the time was occupied by Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan translating the PM's address into Malayalam.
The function is seen as the unofficial launch of BJP’s election campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Gopi is billed as the party’s candidate from Thrissur, where the BJP is pinning its hope on.
The city has been under heightened security measures for the last few days with around 3,000 police personnel deployed for security duties and traffic regulation.
Around 1,000 women police personnel were also stationed at the venue of the conference. All shops at the Swaraj Round and adjacent lanes remained shut. All lanes and bylanes that meet the Swaraj Round were closed for traffic from 11 a.m. Double-layer barricades were also erected to provide security for the roadshow.