Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently on a three-day visit to the United States to attend the Quad summit and a key United Nations meeting, addressed the Indian diaspora at New York's Nassau Coliseum on Sunday. A short clip from his speech has gone viral on the internet, where he is seen smiling after a man from the audience shouts "Kashi, Mathura" while Modi was speaking on goals set by his government for his third term as Prime Minister.
Watch the video here:
Addressing the audience, PM Modi said, "Our government has been re-elected for the third time. This hadn’t happened in Bharat in the last 60 years. The mandate the people of Bharat has given us is huge and significant. In this third term, we have even greater goals to achieve."
As PM was speaking, a man from audience shouts "Kashi-Mathura" leaving PM Modi with a big smile on his face.
The viral clip has created a divide on social media, with BJP supporters praising PM Modi for his gesture, while critics remind him of SP MP Awadhesh Prasad, who won in the Temple City, defeating the BJP candidate.
A user thanked PM Modi, saying, "That smile said it all. That smile said many things."
Another user, taking a jibe at the PM, said, "Do you know Akhilesh Yadav and Awadhesh Prasad?"
A third user ridiculed the man for shouting "Kashi-Mathura," pointing out that an NRI, who left the country for greener pastures in search of a better career and life, now wants more temples in India.
"Poverty, malnutrition, pollution, unemployment—these can wait. Let’s build more temples in India," she added.
For decades, the BJP had been actively campaigning for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. After the Supreme Court's decision, just before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally performed the consecration ceremony (Pran Pratishtha) at the newly constructed grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya. During the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign, several BJP leaders mentioned in their speeches, " Ayodhya Toh Jhanki Hai, Kashi-Mathura Baki hai (Ayodhya is just a glimpse, Kashi and Mathura are still left)."
