Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated phase one of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi. Addressing the gathering, Modi lauded the civilisational heritage of Varanasi and said many sultanates rose and collapsed but Benaras remained.
“Invaders attacked this city, tried to destroy it. History is witness to Aurangzeb’s atrocities, his terror. He tried to change civilisation by the sword. He tried to crush culture with fanaticism. But the soil of this country is different from the rest of the world. Here if an (Mughal Emperor) Aurangzeb comes, a (Maratha warrior) Shivaji also rises,” Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Varanasi, said. He also took a holy dip in the river Ganga and offered prayers.
Prime Minister Modi was received by UP CM Yogi Adityanath when he landed in Varanasi and had a rousing welcome from the people of his Lok Sabha constituency. The temple city’s Rs 339-crore project, the foundation of which was laid by Modi on March 8, 2019, has been completed in less than three years as planned, despite the Covid pandemic.
Later in the evening, the PM will witness Ganga Aarti while onboard a Ro-Ro Vessel with chief ministers and deputy CMs of various BJP-ruled states accompanying him. On Tuesday, he will address a conclave of 12 BJP CMs and nine deputy CMs where they will share best governance practices in their respective states, an official said.
