Narendra Modi in Varanasi: Prime minister gets rousing welcome; breaks security protocol to accept gifts from fan

Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to Varanasi received a rousing welcome from the people in his Lok Sabha constituency as they showered flower petals and chanted slogans of ‘Modi, Modi’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’. While the locals were welcoming the prime minister, he asked his security personnel to step aside and accepted a ‘pagdi’ (turban) and a scarf from a man. He is on a two-day visit to the city to inaugurate the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project. When Modi’s car was making its way through a lane lined with people who were raising slogans and greeting him with flowers.

A bystander tried to offer Modi a pagdi and a scarf but the SPG personnel stopped him. After he intervened and opened the door of his vehicle the bystander was allowed pass on the gifts. The man presented the scarf and turban to Modi.

On his arrival in the city, the prime minister offered prayers at Kaal Bhairav Temple. He inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath Dham and will later witness the Ganga Aarti later in the evening today. During the two-day visit, the prime minister will also participate in a conclave of chief ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, along with Deputy Chief Ministers from Bihar and Nagaland. The conclave will provide an opportunity to share governance-related best practices and is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of furthering team India’s spirit. Follow all LIVE updates on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi here