'Till death neither will I leave Kashi, nor will its people leave me': PM Modi in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Sunday where he responded to Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav's 'final day' remark. PM Modi stated that even when Opposition parties publicly wished for his death in Kashi, we 'felt very happy'. His remark came in response to Akhilesh Yadav's comment in December 2021, which had received massive backlash. Reacting to PM Modi's visit to Banaras, the former CM had said that 'people usually visit the city in their final days'.

"We have seen how much people have stooped low in Indian politics but when in Kashi prayers for my death were done, I felt elated. This meant that till my death neither I will leave Kashi nor its people will leave me," said PM Modi. 

'Can mafia stand in front of the Trishul?': PM Modi

Highlighting the work done by the BJP for Varanasi, PM Modi stated that previous governments had tried to deprive the city of development. "Kashi has been the ancient capital of India's culture. But, the previous governments tried to push the people of Banaras into the pit of trouble by depriving them of development. Today Banaras is changing with the blessings of Mahadev. Today Kashi Vishwanath Dham is standing as a grand tableau of our identity. After how long, Baba's Dham and Maa Ganga have connected once again," said PM Modi. 

He also underlined how the terrorists were fearless under the then-Samajwadi Party government, stating that there used to be bomb blasts on ghats and temples. "The government was openly withdrawing the cases from the terrorists. But could this happen in front of Kashi Kotwal Baba Kalbhairav? Can a mafia, a terrorist ever stand in front of the Trishul? Today, everyone is at their place and the timeless Kashi is showing the direction to the country," he added. 

Uttar Pradesh Elections 2022 

Uttar Pradesh has successfully completed four phases of polling and the fifth phase is currently underway. The first phase was held on February 10 with a voter turnout of 62.4%, the second phase on February 14 and a voter turnout of 61%, the third phase on February 20 recording 60.18% voting and the fourth phase on February 23 with 57.45% voter turnout. The remaining two phases will be held on March 3 and March 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.