BJP's National Council meeting in Kozhikode between September 23-25 will be dedicated to its ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay, who became its forerunner Jana Sangh's president at the same venue in 1967, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to launch an year-long exercise in his memory.
Modi will kick off his 100th birth anniversary celebrations on September 25, the day he was born, and the party's newly-adopted 'garib kalyan' (poor's welfare) agenda will take the centre stage in the key meeting.
Upadhyay, a venerable icon in the saffron party's ranks, is remembered by his followers for his concept of 'antyodaya' (development of the last man in the queue) and "integral humanism".
"The meeting will be a tribute to Deen Dayal Upadhyay. The Prime Minister will launch the year-long exercise and events will be held in India as well as abroad round the year," its General Secretary Arun Singh said.
The part of Swapna Nagari in Kozhikode where the party's 2000 delegates will stay will be named after him as well. There will also be an exhibition.
Top BJP leaders have often lamented that Upadhyay, whose death during a train journey in 1968 is shrouded in mystery, did not get the due recognition among the political stalwarts of modern India.
"We are going to ensure that people get to know of the greatness of his philosophy and leadership," Singh said.
Modi is also scheduled to address a rally in beach town of Kerala on Sep 24 while party president Amit Shah will address the delegates the next day when the Prime Minister will also give his concluding address.
Facing attack from the opposition over Dalit issues and painted as pro-rich, the BJP government at the Centre has made conscious efforts to be seen to be pushing pro-poor measures and the party has time and again spoken about its 'garib kalyan' agenda to reach out to the deprived sections of society while skirting the tricky caste issues.
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