'No One Dared to Attack Temples': Ahead of Filing Papers, PM Modi Roars in Varanasi After Mega Road Show

Varanasi: A day before his nomination, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a mega roadshow here, drawing massive crowds, before he culminated the show of strength with the Ganga aarti at the Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Soaring the political temperatures, Modi was joined by BJP President Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, party's state president Mahendra Nath Pandey and other senior BJP leaders in the temple town, on a day the Congress ended speculation over its leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contesting against the Prime Minister by announcing Ajay Rai's candidature. Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam was also seen at the ghat.

Several National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, will accompany Modi during filing of nomination papers around 11.30 am on Friday. Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan will also be in attendance, the party said.

Addressing a meeting after a massive show of strength in his Lok Sabha constituency, the prime minister said that his government had dealt effectively against terrorism. "We held the mega Kumbh mela this year. It is due to India's efforts that terrorists have not dared to attack any holy sites or temples in any city of the country," he said.

In an apparent reference to the Balakot air strike after Pakistan-based militants killed 40 para-military men in Pulwama, he said the world now backed India in its fight against terror. Modi also referred to the recent bomb blasts in Sri Lanka, saying innocent people observing Easter lost their lives.

Modi said he will not claim that whatever he had wished for the constituency had come true during the last five years. But the pace and the direction of its development are right, he said. The prime minister that said while the last five years of his government were about sincere effort, the next five years will be about results.

Amid chants of 'Modi-Modi', the PM said, "If you permit, I shall file my nomination from the holy city tomorrow, and will return to thank you all after winning polls."

Earlier, the prime minister's roadshow drew a massive crowd. He started his roadshow with the garlanding of the statue of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) founder Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya.

The Prime Minister, who was wearing a saffron kurta and white pyjama along with a matching saffron scarf, waved at people lined up on the both sides of the road and jostling to get a glimpse of him. The nearly 4-hour roadshow ended at the Dashashwamedh Ghat where Modi took part in the Ganga aarti along with Shah and the UP chief minister.

The nearly 4-hour roadshow ended at the Dashashwamedh Ghat where Modi took part in the Ganga aarti along with Shah and the UP chief minister.

He later thanked Varanasi residents for blessing him for another term. "If only words could do justice to the affection I have received from you all. Your blessings give me unparalleled strength to do as much I can for the development of our county! Together, we have been able to achieve a lot, especially futuristic infrastructure, more cleanliness and greater ‘Ease of Living.’ I seek Kashi’s blessings for another term so that we can continue working for this blessed city," he tweeted.

(With PTI inputs)