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This story is from April 26, 2016

Buddhist monks roped in as PM Modi's messengers for UP assembly polls

Buddhist monks will travel through Uttar Pradesh in the next six months informing people about PM Modi's views on Buddhism and Dr Ambedkar. Although the campaign has been projected as religious, Modi is central to it. The apparent motive is to woo Dalit voters, whose allegiance to Ambedkar is known.
Buddhist monks roped in as PM Modi's messengers for UP assembly polls
Monks in Nagpur's Deekshabhoomi. (TOI photo
NEW DELHI: Buddhist monks will be travelling the length and breadth of India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, over the next six months informing people about PM Narendra Modi's views on Buddhism and Bhimrao Ambedkar.
Although the campaign has been projected as religious, Modi is central to it. The apparent motive is to woo Dalit voters, whose allegiance to Ambedkar is known. In fact, the campaign is probably the most organised and aggressive attempt to make inroads into a turf traditionally dominated by BSP.
Former members of BSP chief Mayawati's core team who are now in BJP are serving as the interface between campaign managers and the party organisation. Sitapur MP Rajesh Verma is one of them.

The PMO is directly supervising the entire campaign, titled 'Dhamma Chakra Yatra', that was flagged off by home minister Rajnath Singh at Sarnath last Sunday. Led by former RS member Dr Dhamma Viriyo Mahathera, it will end in Lucknow on October 14. As part of the campaign, around 70 to 80 bhantes (Buddhist priests) with other followers will visit Buddhist centres in air-conditioned buses and Innova cars. The exteriors of the vehicles have been decorated with pictures of Modi's visits to Buddhist shrines in India and abroad. Monks will donate a TV set at every centre, and play a CD which begins with an hour-long message on Modi's views on Buddhism and Dr Ambedkar. The monks will stay at each centre for two days.
To be accomplished in four phases, the yatra will cover over 70 districts of the state, which goes to the polls in March-April next year.
BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, who held over eight meetings with campaign organisers this year, justified the yatra's 'Modi branding'. "The PM suggested a debate on Ambedkar in Parliament, a coin was released commemorating Ambedkar... It must be brought to public knowledge how Modi ji has ensured due respect for Dr Ambedkar," he told TOI.
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