News Analysis India

Tag: Kashi Vishwanath Dham

  • ‘He can do anything for votes before polls’: Mamata Banerjee on PM Modi’s dip in river Ganga

    By PTI

    PANAJI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembers the Ganga river, which is regarded as the “mai” (mother) by lakhs, only during elections to get votes, a day after he took a ritualistic dip in the holy river before inaugurating the Kashi Vishwanath Dham (KVD) in Varanasi.

    Addressing a public meeting at Assnora village in North Goa on the last day of her two-day visit to Goa, the TMC supremo said the prime minister can do anything to get votes and recalled his visit to Uttarakhand for performing “tapasya” (meditation).

    She also alleged that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh made the Ganga river “impure by throwing unclaimed bodies of COVID-19 victims”.

    ALSO READ | Sonia Gandhi meets Opposition leaders on joint strategy in Parliament, no invite to Mamata’s TMC

    Banerjee said around 23 lakh people visit Gangasgar in West Bengal to participate in the Gangasagar mela like the Kumbh congregation.

    “But we don’t worship the Ganga river only during the time of elections. During the election time, Modi ji went and took a dip in the Ganga river,” she said in an apparent reference to the PM’s visit to Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, on Monday for inaugurating the KVD which houses the world-famous Kashi Vishwanath temple Banerjee said PM Modi took a dip in the Ganga river “only to get votes.”

    “He can do anything to get votes. He had gone to Uttarakhand and performed tapasya. We have no objection to it. Let him do whatever he wants to. He has freedom (to do whatever he wants) but where were you during the entire year?” she asked.

    The swipe at PM Modi came in reference to his visit to a cave near the Kedarnath temple where he had spent a day meditating after the election campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which the BJP won.

    ​ALSO READ | Mamata declares ‘match’ against BJP in Goa

    The West Bengal chief minister accused the Yogi Adityanath government in UP of throwing unclaimed bodies of the COVID-19 victims in the Ganga river.

    “They have made the Gangamai (mother Ganga) ‘apavitra’ (impure). We call the Ganga water pure. We call the river our mother. But the BJP has thrown COVID-19 dead bodies in the Ganga river. We don’t like it,” she said.

    Banerjee, who is projecting herself as the opposition pivot to take on the BJP and whose party is contesting the maiden assembly elections in Goa, was livid at the “Bengali party” tag assigned to the TMC.

    ALSO READ | Dhankhar vs Mamata again? Bengal Governor asks officials to ensure cooperation between BSF, police

    “They say we are Bengalis, (but) who are they? They are Gujaratis. Did we ever say that he is a Gujarati and he should not come here? If Gujaratis can go anywhere in the entire country, why can’t Bengalis go? If a Bengali can write the National Anthem, can’t he come to Goa?” she questioned.

    Banerjee said Mahatma Gandhi was seen as the leader of the entire nation and not of any state.

    “We don’t think which part of the country he belonged to. A true leader should take the country together,” she commented.

    The West Bengal chief minister said that “Goa will not be run from Gujarat or Delhi but Goans will run their state.”

  • PM Modi’s lunch with construction workers of Kashi Vishwanath Dham becomes talking point

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Recreating the images of 2019 Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, where Prime Minister Modi  washed the feet of Dalit sanitation workers ahead of Lok Sabha elections, the PM’s interaction with construction workers of Kashi Vishwanath Dham emerged as one of the main talking points of the inauguration event of the corridor in Varanasi on Monday.

    Before inaugurating the phase I of the corridor, Narendra Modi, after performing the ‘Jalabhishek’ of Lord Shiva at Kashi Vishwanath temple, went straight to the construction workers, spoke to them and ate with them.

    By virtue of being the Member of Parliament from Varanasi, the PM extended his gratitude to the workers by showering flower petals on them as they worked day in and day out to carve out his dream project within the scheduled time.

    Prime Minister @narendramodi felicitates and had lunch with the workers who worked on the construction of #KashiVishwanathDhamPM also congratulates the UP government, CM @myogiadityanath on the completion of this projectRead: https://t.co/HOG8VTfKIg pic.twitter.com/Cj14xyLs26
    — PIB India (@PIB_India) December 13, 2021
    During his speech in the courtyard of the corridor, the Prime Minister made a special mention of the tireless efforts of the labourers.

    “Today, I would also like to thank all my labourer brother and sisters, who shed their sweat to bring this grand complex to life. Even during the difficult Covid-19 times, they made sure that the construction work went on. Just now, I had the privilege of meeting them and seek their blessings,”  said the Prime Minister.

    Later in the day, the Prime Minister proceeded to share the dining table and have simple ‘desi’ lunch with around 2,500 construction workers on the corridor premises.

    ​ALSO READ | If an Aurangzeb comes, a Shivaji also emerges, says PM Modi at ‘immortal’ Kashi

    Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also joined Prime Minister Modi and the construction workers during the meals, which included daal, rice, mix vegetable, roti and papad.

    The political pundits feel the gesture of the Prime Minister to acknowledge the efforts of the construction workers and the honour extended to them was significant as it would pay dividends to the ruling party in the coming electoral battle.

    PM Modi also thanked others involved in building the complex. “I also thank artisans, civil engineers, officials from the district administration, as well as families who had houses on the land on which the corridor was constructed,” he said.

    The PM also congratulated Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and the state government, who, he said, worked tirelessly to complete the project in time.

  • Tyrants like Aurangzeb tried to destroy Kashi, city now writing new chapter of its glory: PM Modi

    A new history is being created, he said, asserting that if an Aurangzeb came, a Shivaji also rose and if a Salar Masud, a Muslim invader, marched, then a Raja Suheldev took him on.

  • PM Narendra Modi arrives in Varanasi to open Kashi Vishwanath Dham; to take part in ‘cruise baithak’

    By PTI

    VARANASI: The stage was set for the inauguration of the first phase of the ambitious Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project on Monday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi arriving here.

    Modi will also take part in a ‘cruise baithak’ later and enjoy watching fireworks and festivities to be hosted at ghats of the ancient city.

    “The Prime Minister landed in Varanasi a short while ago,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted around 10.45 am.

    Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed him at the airport.

    Modi, on his two-day trip to the holy town, will first visit Kal Bhairav Mandir for ‘darshan’ of the deity, and then travel by river route to reach the ghat adjoining the corridor, Varanasi District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma had said on Sunday.

    After dedicating the Kashi Vishwanath Dham to the people in the afternoon, PM Modi, later in the evening will take part in an informal ‘baithak’ with state chief ministers and deputy chief minister, onboard the river cruise.

    “Being an MP from Varanasi, he had expressed his desire to showcase the grandeur of Kashi, situated on the banks of the river to the chief ministers.

    Also, from his cruise, the PM will witness Ganga ‘aarti’ and grand festivities being hosted on the lines of ‘Dev Deepawali’ on the ghats, which will culminate with fireworks and laser show,” the DM said.