Varanasi, UTTAR PRADESH :
A Muslim weaver from Varanasi, the Parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is sending about 2,000 specially designed silk ‘Kamal ke Phool’ (Lotus, which is the symbol of BJP) to Gujarat for the second phase of the Assembly elections.
Mohd Azharuddin said that he has already sent 5,000 silk lotuses to the BJP’s state headquarters in Gujarat before the first phase of polling. “I had got an order of 7,000 lotuses. We are sending the second lot tomorrow to Gujarat for the second phase of polling,” he told DNA.
The Varanasi weaver got the order by chance. He wanted to present his creation (a silk lotus) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his last Varanasi visit on October 22. While he was not allowed to reach the dais for security reasons, a Muslim Manch leader, Pushpendru Updhyaya, was impressed by his creation and gave him the big order.
Azharuddin claimed that he got the idea of weaving Lotus on silk thread when he saw Prime Minister and other senior BJP leaders wearing badges of party symbol Lotus tugged on their kurtas.
“Our weavers worked for several days and came out with a better design. It is weaved with different coloured silk threads and the carving is done with genuine stones which never turns black. It takes about two to two-and-half hours to weave one lotus,” said the Muslim weaver.
Azharuddin, who runs a powerloom, said his efforts were aimed at supplementing their income through the new creation following a slump in demand for world famous Varanasi sarees. Besides the lotus, they have also weaved a Tricolour which they are trying to sell to all political parties and for occasions like Republic Day and Independence Day.
He said it costs him about Rs 150 each to make a lotus or a Tricolour. He said sold the lotuses to the BJP for Rs 200 making a profit of Rs 50 per piece. “This additional income helps us support our children’s education when the loom business is down.”
A resident of Shankar Talaab in Varanasi, Azharuddin said that about 20 weavers worked overnight to complete the order of the Muslim Manch, an outfit of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. “We are now expecting a bigger order from the BJP for 2019 Lok Sabha polls.”
A staunch supporter of BJP and Modi, Azharuddin is confident of BJP’s victory in Gujarat. “We are patriot Muslims. The prime minister is doing a great job for the nation. I am sure BJP will win Gujarat again and we all will vote for Modji in 2019. I will present a silk lotus to Modji when he visits Varanasi after winning the Gujarat polls.”
source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> India> Ahmedabad / by DNA Correspondent / December 11th, 2017