Modi's Rajkot fans build temple for him

Rajkot (Guj), Feb 11: Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi here have built a temple for him. The temple, with a bust of Modi in the sanctum, stands on Kothariya road and would be inaugurated on February 16.

"It is a first of its kind in Gujarat, temple of a living person," said Jayesh Patel, leader of Om Yuva Group. More than 350 members of the group joined hands to construct it by collecting small donations and now planned to conduct daily worship there, he said.

"Members of our organisation have been worshiping Modi as God from the time he contested his first Assembly election from Rajkot and became the Chief Minister of Gujarat," Patel said.

"We are very much impressed by the work he did as the Chief Minister and the work he is doing now as the Prime Minister, so we decided to construct a temple for him.

"Initially we had placed a framed photo. Now we have installed an idol, spending Rs 1.7 lakh," Patel said, adding, that altogether the construction costs around Rs seven lakh.

"Our members, earning from five thousand to fifteen thousand rupees a month, contributed," he said. Patel said that the 350 sq yard plot of land where it stands was provided by the Kothariya Gram Panchayant ten years ago for religious purpose.

The village is now part of Rajkot Municipal Corporation. Members are hoping to get a BJP minister from the Centre or the state to inaugurate it. The group members were unfazed by the BJP's defeat in Delhi assembly elections and they had nothing do with any political party, said Patel.

PTI