Prime Minister Narendra Modi steered clear of national and local issues and focused solely on Varanasi’s makeover over the last decade in his 35-minute speech during a daylong tour of his constituency on Friday.
Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of 44 projects worth ₹3,880 crore, Modi said: “Our guiding mantra in serving the nation has always been sabka saath, sabka vikas. With this spirit, we continue to move forward for the betterment of every citizen.”
The inaugurated schemes include 130 drinking water projects, 100 new anganwadi centres, 356 libraries, a polytechnic college in Pindra and a government degree college, Varanasi divisional commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma said. A transit hostel at the police lines and police barracks in Ramnagar and four rural roads were also inaugurated, he said.
“The trial run of the ropeway has started and it will soon be thrown open to the people. There are only a few cities in the world where such a facility is available,” he said at the public meetingin Mehdiganj.
The 3.75km cable car will shuttle between Cantonment Railway Station andGodowlia Crossing.
Modi, who also laid the foundation stones of two flyovers and an underpass in Varanasi city, claimed he was working to make his constituency one of the best cities in the world and generate employment for theregion’s youths.
“Kashi (Varanasi) is at the centre of economic growth of eastern Uttar Pradesh. I inaugurated or unveiled many projects here today with the aim to provide employment to the youths of this region,” he said.
Taking a potshot at the Opposition, he said those hankering for power were solely focused on promoting their own families instead ofinclusive development.
“Those who play games night and day to grab power believe in the principle of parivar ka saath parivar ka vikas,” he said in an apparent dig at the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.
Saumendra Mishra, a research scholar of Banaras Hindu University, said: “It was his 50th visit to Varanasi. His government has spent over ₹40,000 lakh crore in Varanasi, but we don’t see any change here. Some flyovers were built, but we still face traffic snarls despite Modi being the Prime Minister and local MP for11 years.”
Mishra wondered why Modi didn’t speak about the Varanasi Municipal Corporation’s decision to rename some localities, a majority of which have a substantialMuslim population.
“Being the MP of Varanasi, he should have explained how his decision to change the names of certain areas of Varanasi would bring employment here and how the demolition of the iconic Dal Mandi (pulse market) will help us lead a better life,” Mishra said.
The proposed widening of Dal Mandi — where a majority of shops are owned by Muslims — has ignited tension in the area.