Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the people of Kashi to break all previous records of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s victory in elections by supporting him overwhelmingly this time.

Varanasi will go to polls in the final and seventh phase of general elections on June 1.

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Addressing a public meeting at Assi Ghat Varanasi on Saturday night, CM Adityanath claimed that the NDA has already passed the target of 400 seats following the conclusion of the sixth phase of Lok sabha elections.

Prior to the rally, the CM visited Assi Ghat boarding a cruise from Namo Ghat and participated in the Ganga Aarti. He also paid obeisance at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Annapurna temple and Kotwal of Kashi Baba Kal Bhairav.

The CM said that PM Modi would win with record votes, adding that the message sent from Kashi will be to work to bring the concept of Ram Rajya in the country. Notably, elections were held on 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh and 58 seats in the country in the sixth phase on Saturday.

“The people of Kashi take pride in telling current and future generations that they witnessed the end of a 500-year wait. Having elected PM Modi to Parliament, they can proudly declare that they have restored the glory of Ayodhya, India, and Sanatan Dharma. While PM Modi brings honor and virtue, the dark deeds of Congress are evident to all. These people have consistently opposed Sanatan Dharma and the Ram Mandir,” he said.

Adityanath said before 2014, Kashi suffered neglect and anarchy and had become a hub for terrorist activities.

”Mafia and criminal elements dominated, creating an identity crisis for the people. However, in 2014, Kashi elected Narendra Modi, the world’s most popular politician and architect of a better India, as its public representative. Today, in the new Uttar Pradesh of the new India, Kashi appears grand and divine.”

He said that when Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was to be started, PM Modi had brought a shovel to the Assi Ghat. ”The cleanliness program he started has become a movement today. The ghats of Kashi are considered to be the most beautiful spiritual and cultural ghats in the world,” he remarked.

“PM Modi started many works to give recognition to Kashi. The vision of uninterrupted and clean Ganga that he has realized is going to give a new life to the followers of Sanatan Dharma, the people of Uttar Pradesh and India. There is four-lane connectivity all around in Kashi. Kashi International Airport is considered to be the busiest airport in the country. The country’s largest ropeway is constructed in Kashi. The temples of Kashi are rejuvenated”, he stated.

The CM remarked that Baba Vishwanath was also awaiting the arrival of the devotee Modi, knowing that with his presence, Kashi Vishwanath Dham would appear divine and grand. ”Under Modi’s leadership, Kashi has set new records, with the arrival of 16 crore devotees showcasing its status as a top tourist destination. Kashi now boasts of an excellent model of infrastructure and railways,” he remarked, adding that the days of slow meter gauge trains are now replaced by Namo Bharat, Vande Bharat, and Amrit Bharat trains connecting Kashi to various parts of the country.

“Kashi airport now connects the region with the rest of the country and the world. Modi ji emphasized that Mother Ganga is not only a symbol of our faith but will also become an excellent model for water transport, aiding in maintaining its continuity and purity. This vision has materialized, with sailors and locals using water transport to enhance their trade. Kashi has emerged as a multimodal terminal hub, exemplified by the operation of the world’s largest cruise from Kashi via Haldia last year. Additionally, a ropeway will soon connect Cantt to Baba Vishwanath, reducing travel time to just a few minutes. This project is expected to be completed by the end of this year,” he remarked.

CM Yogi stated that the new Kashi symbolises the birth of a new Uttar Pradesh with a divine presence. “Kashi’s choice of Modiji has led to an India where terrorism and Naxalism have been eradicated. With a strong government in place, the country’s enemies are compelled to offer explanations. Previously, there were explosions in several places, including Sankat Mochan Temple and Kachari in Kashi, as well as in Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad. At that time, the governments were powerless, but today, terrorists from across the border have been eliminated. Even the most prestigious newspaper in the UK now acknowledges that in the past three years, more than two dozen deadly terrorists were killed inside Pakistan, suggesting that Indian agencies might be behind this. This implies that anti-India elements are not safe even in enemy territory”, he remarked.

The CM said that Kashi has presented a model of development and heritage with Vishwanath Dham in Kashi and Shri Ram’s Dham in Ayodhya bearing examples of this.

Yogi Adityanath alleged that the Congress governments in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh divided the Muslim community by providing OBC reservations. He said that the Kolkata High Court overturned the 2010 decisions of the Trinamool Congress, which had distributed OBC reservations among 118 Muslim castes, declaring it unconstitutional.

The CM warned that if the Congress comes to power, they will bring in personal laws and the alliance will try to implement Taliban-like rule.