Bhubaneswar: Ahead of his swearing-in as the Prime Minister for the third consecutive term, Narendra Modi offered tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Sadaiv Atal on Sunday morning. He also laid wreath at National War Memorial.
Clad in spotless white kurta-pyjama, Modi flaunted a cotton Sambalpuri Bandha uttariya on these occasions, in what appears to be a gratitude to the people of Odisha amid a shift in its focus towards the state where the BJP swept the Lok Sabha polls, pocketing 20 of the 21 seats. The saffron party is also set to form its maiden government in the state having won 78 of 147 Assembly seats.
Researcher and GI activist Anita Sabat described it as a ‘Duiphulia Sambalpuri Bandha’ uttariya. “It is a type of Odisha Ikat, which has won GI tag,” she added.
Modi had earlier worn similar handloom during his public meetings at Kandhamal, Balangir and Boudh. He also wore a Sambalpuri Bandha jacket with floral motifs on it during his visit to Sambalpur in February this year.
This is the second occasion in two days when Modi has put Odisha in the ‘forefront’ of his political discourse.
On June 7, the Prime Minister-designate invoked Lord Jagannath during the NDA meet and exuded confidence that Odisha will be one of the growth engines of India’s ‘Vikash Yatra’ during the next 25 years. “There are different forms of God. I always believe and have experienced that Lord Jagannath is the God of the poor. This time, revolutionary results have come from Odisha, the land of the Lord. I am sure, the dream of Viksit Bharat will be fulfilled soon with the blessing of Lord Jagannath and Odisha will be one of the growth engines of the Vikash Yatra of the country for next 25 years,” he had said.
