Karnataka

Autorickshaw driver turns philanthropic on polling day

Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

auto

An autorickshaw driver in Sulibele in Hoskote taluk in Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha constituency did his bit for ensuring that there was maximum participation in the democratic process of choosing members of Parliament by way of ferrying people to polling booths for free on Thursday.

Shafiullah Khan (36), who owns an autorickshaw, helped 70 senior citizens and persons with disabilities reach five polling booths on Thursday in his vehicle for free.

“Senior citizens and people with disabilities encounter problems travelling to the booth. As a result, many generally stay back at home and do not vote. I wanted to make a small difference by ferrying a few people in my autorickshaw as voting is every citizen’s right,” says Mr. Shafiullah Khan.Speaking to The Hindu, Mr.Khan said: “I will think my money and time was well spent on polling day if a good person wins the Lok Sabha election and works for the welfare of our village. I have seen people who are indifferent to the happenings around them. As citizens, we ought to do our bit for the development of our country.”

According to him, it was around noon that many people started calling him up asking for the service. He claims that he had provided free transport for the aged during Assembly elections last time, and that he aspires to make it a regular feature.

Ratnamma (68), who underwent a surgery recently, said: “Mr. Shafiullah Khan took me to the polling booth in his autorickshaw. If he had not helped me, I don’t think I would have been able to exercise my franchise,” she said.

Write A Comment