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Author: TNN
Publication: The Times of India
Date: January 19, 2014
URL: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-19/mangalore/46345980_1_aicc-session-tea-seller-narendra-modi
At a time when adverse comments against political adversaries bring forth violent reaction from the aggrieved party cadre, the sight of NaMo Brigade volunteers distributing tea freely as a form of protest took all by surprise here on Saturday.
The immediate provocation for this political largesse was the barb that senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar made against BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at the AICC session on Friday.
Taking Aiyar's barb that Modi would not become the Prime Minister in the 21st century and that he could sell tea at the AICC session for which the Congress would provide the latter space, seriously, NaMo Brigade volunteers led by Irfan Iqbal Ghetta, a Gujarati Muslim, provided tea to morning walkers at Kadri Park, to autorickshaw drivers, tender coconut vendors and students at Mahavir (Pumpwell) Circle, much to the surprise of these people.
The argument of NaMo Brigade volunteers was simple. Dubbing their protest as 'Chaiwala for PM campaign,' the volunteers, referring to Modi's humble start as a tea seller that Aiyar sarcastically referred to, said: "We are keen to serve the nation even if we are chaiwalas. It is definitely Chaiwala Modi for PM." This protest did take a few off guard for they were not aware of Aiyar's statement; nut nonetheless took the free offering in their stride.
Naresh Shenoy, state covenener of NaMo Brigade, told STOI that similar protest was also held at Majestic in Bangalore and even Davanagere. "Violent protests will only create a bad impression and inconvenience people," he said, adding that Aiyar had made such frivolous comments about other Hindu leaders in the past. "It was our way of telling Aiyar that his frivolous comments are not tolerated and people are alive to developments," he said. |
