During his visit to Varanasi on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, accusing him of indulging in vote-bank politics and questioning India’s timing of response to the Pahalgam Terror Attack.
PM Modi criticized Yadav’s comments on Operation Sindoor saying, “Ye Samajwadi Party wale kehte hai Pahalgam ke atankiyon ko abhi kyu maara, toh unko phone karu kya SP walo ko? Aapse puchu ke kab maarna hai? Atankwadiyon ko maarne ke liye mauka dhoondhna padega kya? Unhe bhaagne ka mauka dena hai kya?” he said.
Translating his remark, the Prime Minister added, “The leader of the Samajwadi Party asked in Parliament, Why did we kill the Pahalgam terrorists now? Then what should we do? Should we call them and ask if we have your permission to kill them? Should we give them the opportunity to escape?”
Accusations Against SP’s Past Governance
PM Modi also accused the SP of being lenient on terrorism during its tenure in power. He alleged that the previous SP-led government had withdrawn cases against individuals involved in bomb blasts and issued clean chits to those accused of terrorism.
“Ye wahi log hain, jo jab satta mein the toh atankwadiyon ko clean chit dete the, bomb dhamake karne wale atankiyon se case wapas lete the, ab inhe atankwadiyon ke maare jaane se takleef ho rahi hai, Operation Sindoor se takleef ho rahi hai,” he said.
Rs. 2,183 Crore Development Projects for Varanasi
Alongside his political attack, PM Modi also laid the foundation stone and inaugurated 52 development projects valued at approximately Rs.2,183.45 crore in Varanasi.
The initiatives cover multiple sectors, including roads, healthcare, education, tourism, urban development, sports, and sanitation. As per an official release, the projects include:
Widening and Construction of Roads
- Upgrades to hospitals
- Improvements to schools and educational institutions
- Setting up a homeopathic college
- Enhancing sports facilities
- Building paved ghats to boost religious tourism
- Expanding drinking water and sanitation systems
- Increasing electricity and parking capacity
- Renovating ponds
- Creating libraries, animal hospitals, and dog care centres
