Prime Minister Narendra Mod | Photo: ANI
Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at INS Garuda, the Indian naval air station here on Monday for a two-day visit to Kerala.
He landed in a special flight and headed to Sacred Heart College. Interestingly, he is in traditional Kerala attire.
Modi commenced his slated road show from Perumanoor junction to the college.
He received a rousing welcome with thousands of people, including BJP workers and supporters, lining up on both sides of the nearly two-kilometre long route of his road show.
He intially began the road show on foot and waved to the people on both sides of the road along the route which was under a tight security net, with thousands of police personnel being deployed to ensure the PM's safety.
People of all age groups from various parts of the state were lined up on both sides of the road, hours in advance, to welcome Modi and showered him with flowers.
Modi will participate in the Yuvam-23 programme at the college grounds. Around 20,000 participants are expected at this event.
Congress leader and former Defence Minister A K Antony's son Anil, who recently joined BJP, actor and former Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi and actors Unni Mukundan and Aparna Balamurali were among those who were waiting at the venue to greet the PM.
While his itinerary does not mention it, senior BJP leaders have confirmed that Modi will be meeting senior priests of the Christian community after the youth conclave.
Eight prominent senior priests of various churches in the state have been invited to meet the PM at the Taj Malabar hotel here where Modi will be staying. The BJP in Kerala is aiming to use the PM's visit as a springboard for its outreach campaign for bringing youth and minorities into its fold.
He will leave for Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday morning. The Vande Bharat train will be flagged off at Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station at 10:30 am. The prime minister will also dedicate (and lay foundation stones) development projects worth Rs 3,200 crores, including the Kochi Water Metro at the Central Stadium before departing for Dadra Nagar Haveli at 12 pm. Modi's visit will be accompanied by extensive police security, with six SPs, 26 DySPs and 2,060 other police personnel taking part. Everyone attending the event will be screened, and metal detectors and state-of-the-art cameras will be used.
With agency inputs
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