STORY: Do these men look like the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
Rashid Ahmed, a Muslim e-rickshaw driver, is affectionately known as “Our Modi” in his neighborhood in Delhi, while Jagdish Bhatia runs a real estate business in the capital.
Both have featured in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s political campaigns due to their striking resemblance to Modi, who is seeking a third consecutive term in the general elections.
:: Rashid Ahmed, electric rickshaw driver
“I have been like this from the beginning, but since Modi became Prime Minister, there is more talk about it. People are saying, “Look, we have our own Modi here and the other one is over there. »
Ahmed is a celebrity in his neighborhood and is affectionately known as “Uncle Modi” by local children, many of whom he drives to school every day.
He also attends BJP rallies as a Modi lookalike, exciting those in the crowd who initially mistook him for the prime minister.
Such events can earn him around 1,000 rupees, or $12, which he earns every day driving his rickshaw.
Critics have often accused Modi and his government of targeting the minority Muslim community, to which Ahmed belongs.
Modi has denied the accusations, saying he does not oppose Islam.
Ahmed defends the prime minister.
“The Prime Minister will listen to everyone, the good and the bad. It is the people at the bottom who make mistakes, practice religious discrimination and dishonor the party.”
Another Modi lookalike is Jagdish Bhatia, who belongs to a spiritual sect independent of any religion.
The 68-year-old accentuates his similarity with Modi by changing his dressing style accordingly.
But unlike Ahmed, he does not accept money to attend BJP rallies.
As he likes Modi’s vision, he sees this task as “social service”.
::Jagdish Bhatia, businessman
“I really like the way Modi works, the things he has done for the development of the country and the decisions he has taken which no previous government had taken. I like his style of work and his vision of the country and that is why I like being useful to the party.
yahoo
