BJP holds events across India to mark Kashi Corridor’s unveiling

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday organised programmes at various temples across the country to celebrate the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Union ministers calling the event “historic”.

In New Delhi, Union home minister Amit Shah said the PM had done unique work to revive the pride of the faith centres as the carrier of Indian culture and the protector of religion.

“Kashi, the city of Baba Vishwanath, has been a shining symbol of sanatan (ancient) culture for centuries. Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has written a golden chapter in the history of Indian culture by launching the grand form of Kashi Viswanath dham while re-realising his unique devotion to religion,” Shah tweeted.

BJP president JP Nadda thanked Modi for the “revival” of Kashi and cultural and spiritual heritage of “sanatan” religion.in a series of tweets in Hindi, Nadda, who was also present at the ceremony in Varanasi, said the PM revived the “divine, wonderful, unimaginable and grand form of Kashi” besides the spiritual and cultural heritage of “sanatan dharma”.

Union minister Piyush Goyal visited the Birla temple in Delhi and heard hte PM’S speech in Varanasi. “Kashi now will sparkle in its traditional charm and will present country’s history and culture,” he tweeted.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted: “The reconstruction of this Dham started in…2018…in its history, the temple alone was renovated many times…this is the first time the entire Vishwanath Dham has been rebuilt successfully. What PM Modi has done is phenomenal.”

“PM Narendra Modi by inaugurating Kashi Vishwanath Dham programme today has added a new chapter in country’s cultural history. I thank PM from bottom of my heart for this,” Union defence minister Rajnath Singh tweeted. In another tweet, he said, the PM’S name will be remembered any time someone mentioned Kashi Vishwanath.

Many Bjp-ruled states were represented in Varanasi either by chief ministers or deputy chief ministers.

“Because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the country is full of undefined energy and self-confidence. Without doubt, under your guidance the Indians will overcome every impossible challenge,” Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted.

In Mumbai, former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior party leader Pankaja Munde participated in a function at Babulnath temple while state BJP president Chandrakant Patil attended a function at a temple in Pune.

In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP organised functions called ‘Divya Kashi Bhavya Kashi’ in different districts of the state, where live telecast of the inauguration and series of events by the PM was broadcast on big screens. In Tripura, BJP leaders performed special prayers at 150 temples.

“This is the beginning of a new era,” Sharma said and added that the PM had shown new path on how to save culture and tradition with development.

The mega project comprises 24 buildings including an emporium, a museum, a sacred kitchen, a Vedic library and centre to store ancient scriptures, a city gallery and a food court – all built around the temple that serves as one of the nerve centres of the Hindu faith, attracting seven million pilgrims annually. The showpiece of the project is the restoration of the link between the Ganga and the temple, an ancient connection that had been cut off by years of encroachment, construction and population.