PM Modi's letter defending note ban gets delivered in every UP household

Over 1,600 motorcycle-borne activists have been tasked with the duty of delivering the PM's letter

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written a letter addressing voters in Uttar Pradesh saying that his government's surprise demonetisation measure was necessary to root out corruption and prevent terrorism, reported The Economic Times on Tuesday.

According to the report, over 1,600 motorcycle-borne activists have been tasked with the duty of delivering the prime minister's letter to 2,75,000 households every day.  

The move comes at a time when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might not be fairing as well in Uttar Pradesh as the party had initially thought. As reported earlier, there is a noticeable defensiveness among BJP voters and supporters this time around regarding the note ban and every time the questions related to the issue crop up. Further, the BJP’s local offices, which in 2014 brimmed with people prematurely celebrating Narendra Modi’s victory before counting, have been muted. (Read more)

A young party official of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh provenance in Rampur, who had his nose to the grindstone when the Lok Sabha polls were underway, told Business Standard that he “lost interest” this time. “I have nothing to say to our voters when they pose uncomfortable questions on demonetisation. I am packing my bags and taking a vacation in my village,” he said. The official’s main worry was that demonetisation had begun to "chip away" at Prime Minister Modi’s image. "Modiji has invested much personal and political capital in it but people ask me, does he not understand our hardships? Why did he make us suffer?" he added. 

Part of BJP president Amit Shah's 'Saath aayein, parivartan laayein' (Let’s come together, bring about change) campaign for the ongoing Assembly polls, the letter says that the prime minister is "not only thankful to the people for their support but is also hopeful of a bright future for the country after the (demonetisation) drive", the ET report said, adding that the letter would be delivered along with BJP's manifesto. 

Further, the letter says, "You showed faith in me and gave me a huge responsibility in May 2014. I am happy that now not only is our government progressing fast but also weeding out corruption, terrorism and counterfeit currency.... While the previous governments have only given you 2G, Agusta and coal scams, this government is unearthing all hidden black money and punishing the defaulters. The money they usurped was all yours. We are bringing that out."

The run up to the polls saw the BJP and the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance trade barbs and insults, with key leaders like the prime minister, state Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi directly taking shots at each other. 

Hitting back at Akhilesh Yadav for his "kaam ki baat" jibe, the prime minister on Monday said that incidents of rape and abduction have gone up in Uttar Pradesh and asked whether the chief minister would describe it as his "work" or "misdeeds". Addressing an election rally in Lakhimpur Kheri, the sugarcane bowl of the state, he found faults in the Akhilesh-led Samajwadi Party government's functioning and raised the issue of non-payment of cane dues to farmers.

Urging voters of the state to give BJP a chance, Modi said if his party was voted to power, all anti-social elements would be behind bars within six months.

While the letters are distributed across the state, the second phase polling in 67 constituencies, spread over 11 districts, will be held on February 15.

The voter turnout of the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls was recorded at a decent 63 per cent.