Choosing not to make any direct political comment during the dedication ceremony of the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor at Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded people of the atrocities of Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb and the generous donation of Raja Ranjit Singh of Punjab for the temple.
On Monday, PM Modi was in Varanasi to dedicate his dream project of the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor. On this occasion, he tried to connect with the people of Punjab also and reminded them of the donation of a large quantity of gold by Raja Ranjit Singh for covering the Kashi Vishwanath temple tomb. He also reminded people of the terror of Moghul King Aurangzeb and said that there were invasions on Kashi and efforts were made to destroy it. "History reminds us of the terror of Aurangzeb who tries to change civilization by the sword. However, the soil of this country is unique where Great Shivaji rises against Aurangzeb," he added.
It may be mentioned that assembly polls in UP as well Punjab are due in the next two months. The ruling BJP government in UP has been trying to the majority of Hindu voters by showcasing the grand project of the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor. The UP government has planned a series of programmes after the dedication ceremony of the corridor, which will continue for one month. During these top political leaders, entrepreneurs, intellectuals and cultural personalities would come to Varanasi.
The dedication ceremony of the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor was telecasted live in over 30000 temples across the country. Several union ministers and top BJP leaders were asked to be present in the temples of their respective areas during the telecast. On Monday, the union home minister Amit Shah was present in Somnath temple at Gujrat while civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Mahakaal, Ujjain during the live telecast.
Soon after the ceremony, PM Modi met with workers engaged in the construction of the corridor and showered flower petals on them. He also had lunch with these workers inside the Kashi-Vishwanath temple campus.
In his address, PM described the glorious past of Kashi, renovation of temple and ongoing project of the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor. He said that Kashi is a spiritual city and one who enters here is released from all restrictions. PM Modi said that every Indian is like God for him and he wants three pledges of cleanliness, innovation and self-dependence from them.
It may be mentioned that once the situation in about 5000 square feet area between narrow streets of Varanasi, the Kashi Vishwanath temple has now been expanded up to 5 lakh square feet due to this project. In the corridor, a multi-purpose hall and Varanasi gallery has been constructed along with a city museum. Devotees may now reach directly from the banks of river Ganga to Kashi Vishwanath temple.
