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Asian Voice - Saturday 23rd July 2011
London Convention held b ...OFBJP makes Indians in Britain proud Continued from page 1 Nitin Gadkari, the president of India’s main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, arrived in London last week on a six-day visit that focused on projecting the party under his leadership. The preparation for the visit started from end of June when the Convenor of the Overseas Friends of BJP visited the UK in order to prepare for the convention. They also visited the office of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to meet the outgoing Marketing Manager (UK operation), Bank of Baroda at an exclusive lunch on 13th July. Mr Nitin Gadkari was interviewed by Kamal Rao, News Editor of Gujarat Samachar (For full interview see Gujarat Samachar). On Saturday a London Convention was organised at Millenium Suite, Panna's near Romford. 850 people gathered to hear the President of BJP address them and burning issues of India. He was accompanied by the Convenor of OFBJP Vijay Jolly, Co-Convenor Amit Thakker, Rajashathn Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, BJP Mahila Morcha Rajya Sabha member Smriti Irani, President of OFBJP Dr Surendra Sharma and Vice President Lalubhai Parekh. This was followed by Mr Gadkari's visit to an event by Telengana Forum, BAPS
Swaminarayan Temple and a Gurudwara at Southall. He also visited Sangat Community Centre near Kenton. On Monday Virendra Sharma, MP of Ealing Southall on behalf of Indo-British All Party Parliamentary Group organised a lunch at the House of Common. This was attended by Lord Dholakia, Lord Popat, Baroness Hayman, Lord Paul, Lord Billimoria, Lord Granville Janner, Lord Loomba, Baroness Verma, Barry Gardiner MP, Stephen Pounds MP, Bob Blackman MP, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi MP (from New Zealand) and many more. This was followed by a meeting with MPs of the BJP and Indo-European Business Forum. He also spoke to Naresh Goyal, Chairman of Jet Airways about direct flight between Ahmedabad and India and met Nalin Surie, High Commissioner of India to speak about visa administration. On Tuesday he was invited by Subhash Thakrar, Chairman of London Chamber of Commerce at a lunch and special political briefing about where India is winning, and where India is losing. In the on behalf of the Commonwealth Business Council, Barry Gardiner MP, Chairman, All Party Parliamentary Group on UK – India Trade and Investment Relations and Mr Rajesh V Shah, Co-Chairman and Managing Director, Mukand Ltd, organised a private dinner for Mr Nitin Gadkari.
Members of OFBJP meets outgoing Marketing Manager (UK), BoB Nitin Gadkari's visit to the Overseas BJP conference was inaugurated in Britain with the initial visit of Vijay Jolly, Convenor of Overseas Friends of BJP with Lalubhai Parikh, a veteran leader of the Overseas Friends of BJP to Karma Yoga House in the last week of June. Followed by another visit with some of the party members to a networking lunch organised by Asian Voice and Gujarat Lalubhai Parekh, Kamal Rao, Amit Thaker, Vijay Jolly, Abhinav Samachar to give a farewell to Iyer, Ranjna Iyer, Jyotsna Shah, Rupanjana Dutta, CB Patel Abhinav Iyer on Wednesday 13th pounds of deposits in 3 months. We added July, Marketing Manager (UK Operations), more than 13000 customers to our commitBank of Baroda along with his wife Ranjna tee. Iyer who is a radiologist with the NHS, who Both my father and I are both politicalis from Dubai. ly active. I take pride in BJP because a very Originally from Indore, Abhinav has respected person from BJP is close to me. worked in Mumbai and was posted in He is a great gentleman and he helped me London as the Marketing head. Now finishwhen I was doing my MBA, a great speaking his 3 and a half years tenure in Britain, er, so I owe a lot to them in terms of my perhe is moving back to India with his wife sonal growth. I wish all the best for the Ranjna. Speaking about his experience in campaign here. Gujarat is a great state and the UK, Abhinav said, "My Experience at not just because it has produced a great Bank of Baroda has been amazing... bank like Bank of Barorda!" When I came here there was no strucHe was presented with the coffee table ture in marketing, the public sector bank book Love Gujarat as a memento. didn't have a great vision and we were Vijay Jolly, Convenor of the Overseas recruited just as students. Friends of BJP thanking CB Patel said, “I I was lucky to do some sales job, which had the privilege of coordinating the is not generally the case after you do a national president Mr Gadkari's two visits MBA. When I went to Bombay, the recently, one happened, January visit in Housing loans department used to sanction China and the first one was in Israel and loans only in 4 to 5 weeks, average time, the third one is here in England starting which meant, worst case would be 45 days, from 16th July to 21st and then we have which was phenomenally high on customer vision of a greater connectivity with anothsatisfaction levels. But we brought it down er superpower which is of course the to 6 days and it worked well. United States.." I am honoured to be part of such a great He spoke about the importance of coninitiative. After I came here I met CB. He nectivity, youth and the importance of the was one of the first people I met in the party in uniting India and linking it well media world, got encouragement from him. with the non resident Indians. He criticised The bank initially did not even have pull up the UPA government for its recent attack literatures on what it was offering, the webon Baba Ramdev and the corruption presite was not in a great shape, there wasn't vailing. He spoke about the importance of any corporate files, though the bank was power going to the worthy and not to doing great in terms of finance and figures, descendants by mere blood relation. but unless you have a presentable profile, Amit Thaker, co- convenor of Overseas even though you might be good, it does not friends of BJP spoke about Infrastructure, leave an impact on customers. development, telecom progress, progression We have offered some great products at various areas of the Indian society and like Baroda Max which performed excepthe importance of youth's participation in tionally well, raising more than 300 million the politics.
London Convention organised by Overseas Friends of BJP
Overseas Friends of BJP had organised a London Convention at Romford City Pavilion. It was attended and addressed by BJP President, Shri Nitin Gadkari, who spoke in national language Hindi “I am so glad to meet you all, I feel so proud and privileged to find out about the success and progress that you have made living in a foreign country. Wherever you are, you have surely made India proud..." In his hour long speech, Mr. Gadkari outlined the progress made by the BJP ruled states in the development of infrastructure,
win. He spoke about the demand for the direct flight between Gujarat and London. He added, "I had asked Shri Naresh Goyal of Jet Airways to start a direct flight this
Mamta Lakhani and Amit Chatterjee, compere for the evening
Vasantbhai and Pannaben Lakhani of City Pavilion with Nitin Gadkari, President BJP
afternoon. If necessary, we would take this demand to even Indian parliament and put forward the request. I have even talked to Britain based Indian High commissioner Shri Nalin Suri about the problems faced by Indians for visa and overseas card. Speaking on the occasion former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje
tourism and other sectors and invited the people of Indian origin to take advantage of the positive investment climate in these states. The BJP President hailed the achievements of the influential Indian-origin community in the UK in various fields and referred to the problems being faced by them in visa and PIO cards related matters. He assured them that he would take up these issues with the government of India. He dwelt at length the role his party was playing in exposing the rampant corruption back home and promised a governCB Patel, Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat ment free from terror, poverty Samachar being greeted by Nitin Gadkari as others look on and corruption at the centre after the general elections scheduled for 2014 complimented the large people of Indian which he said the BJP-led NDA was sure to origin community for the role they were