Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kashi on Tuesday (29 April) and launched a sharp attack on the opposition. Nearly 50,000 women gathered at the Nari Shakti Vandan Sammelan held at the Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) ground. PM Modi arrived among them riding an open jeep. The event gave pride of place to 44 women from fields including politics, self-help groups, and medicine, all of whom were seated on the main stage.
Forty Years of Delay
PM Modi directly targeted the Samajwadi Party, Congress, TMC, and DMK. He said the question of women’s reservation had been pending for 40 years. The central government passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Act in 2023, but these parties had blocked it for decades.
“All these dynastic and appeasement-driven parties are scared of women’s power,” Modi said at the rally.
He further added that this fear drives their desire to keep the country’s daughters out of state assemblies and Parliament.
SP’s Long Record of Opposition
The Samajwadi Party’s relationship with the Women’s Reservation Bill has long been controversial. When the bill was first introduced in 1996, SP refused to support it without a separate sub-quota for OBC and Muslim women. The party continued its opposition through repeated attempts between 1998 and 2003. In 2010, when the Rajya Sabha passed the bill, SP again stood against it. Between 2014 and 2017, the bill stalled in the Lok Sabha. SP eventually offered conditional support in 2023 — but by then, decades had already been lost.
Women’s Safety Under SP Rule
CM Yogi Adityanath also attacked the SP. He said that SP and Congress made a shameful attempt to block 33% reservation for women, and that public anger over this is clearly visible.
NCRB data adds weight to the criticism. During the SP government in Uttar Pradesh from 2012 to 2017, the state consistently recorded the highest number of crimes against women in the country. Cases rose from 38,467 in 2014 to 49,262 in 2016 and then to 56,011 in 2017. Slow police response and weak law enforcement drew sharp criticism throughout that period.
PM Modi’s Pledge to Women
Addressing the thousands of women present, Modi made a firm commitment. “I assure all my sisters — I will leave no stone unturned to ensure your right to reservation is put into practice,” he said.
Kashi Gets Projects Worth ₹6,350 Crore
Beyond the rally, Modi gave Kashi a major development push. He laid the foundation stones and inaugurated projects worth ₹6,350 crore in total — 163 projects across the city.
3 Major Projects — Foundation Stone Laid
1. Rail-Road Signature Bridge — ₹2,600 Crore Modi laid the foundation stone of a 1,047-metre-long rail-road Signature Bridge. This landmark infrastructure project will ease connectivity across the city and is one of the biggest investments in Varanasi’s transport network.
2. Super Specialty Hospital at Kabirchaura — ₹315 Crore A 500-bed Super Specialty Hospital will come up at Kabirchaura Mandliya Hospital. The project aims to bring advanced medical care directly to patients in and around Varanasi.
3. New Municipal Corporation Building — ₹97 Crore A new Nagar Nigam building spanning 11,718 square metres will also be constructed, giving the city’s civic administration a modern and capable headquarters.
2 Major Projects — Inaugurated
1. Sowa-Rigpa Bhavan and Hospital — Central University of Tibetan Studies Modi inaugurated the Sowa-Rigpa Bhavan and its attached hospital at the Central University of Tibetan Studies. This facility will promote traditional Tibetan medicine and serve students and the wider community.
2. Two New Amrit Bharat Express Trains Modi flagged off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains — one connecting Banaras to Pune, and the other running between Ayodhya and Mumbai. Both trains will improve intercity connectivity and benefit thousands of daily passengers.
