LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day tour of his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on April 28 and April 29, during which he is expected to continue his attack on the Opposition over the fall of the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill related to women’s reservation, which sought to provide 33 per cent seats for women in an expanded Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.
The Prime Minister will begin his visit by addressing a women’s convention, Nari Shakti Mahotsava, on April 28. The entire security arrangement for the event venue will be handled exclusively by an all-women contingent of the Varanasi police.
Preparations for the event are being overseen by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The Police Commissioner, along with the District Magistrate, conducted a site inspection of the venue on Thursday night.
Varanasi Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal said that the entire security responsibility of the event venue would rest solely with women police personnel, who would carry out their duties with efficiency, alertness and discipline. Instructions have been issued to establish a multi-layered security cordon, ensure screening of every individual as per protocol, and deploy adequate police personnel for continuous surveillance.
BJP sources said that, to send a message of women’s empowerment, key responsibilities related to the event preparations have been assigned to women leaders of the party.
At the Mahila Sammelan, women from Varanasi city, district units and adjoining districts are expected to be present.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate and lay foundation stones for 160 projects worth Rs 6,269.86 crore. Of these, 48 projects worth Rs 1,052.89 crore will be inaugurated, while foundation stones will be laid for 112 projects worth Rs 5,216.97 crore.
The visit will mainly focus on infrastructure upgrades, including sewage treatment and road projects.
According to BJP insiders, the Prime Minister will stay overnight in Varanasi and address another event on April 29 before proceeding to Hardoi to inaugurate the Ganga Expressway project.
The Ganga Expressway, Uttar Pradesh’s latest greenfield expressway, will link Meerut with Prayagraj and reduce travel time between the two regions to around five hours. The 594-km-long road includes provisions such as a stretch that can be used as a runway for fighter jets and transport aircraft.
The Adani Group has built three of the four sections of the Ganga Expressway. Of the total 594 km, 464 km has been constructed by the conglomerate.
The six-lane expressway passes through 12 districts in Uttar Pradesh and may be extended in the future to Haridwar in Uttarakhand. It can also be expanded into an eight-lane corridor.