Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the BJP's membership drive from his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi.
Addressing a gathering, he said it would further connect people from all walks of life with the party. He also talked about the Union Budget 2019-20 and his thoughts on India’s growth trajectory in the coming years.
“From the soil of Kashi, I greet each dedicated worker of the party. Today, I got an opportunity to launch the BJP’s membership campaign from Kashi,” he said.
The launch of the membership drive coincided with the 118th birth anniversary of the party’s founder, Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
Referring to the provisions in the Union Budget, Mr. Modi said a “new India” was on the threshold of racing ahead.
“It is important to know about the $5 trillion economy because some people were casting doubts over the competency of Indians, saying that achieving the target is very difficult. These people are professional pessimists,” he said.
Unveils Lal Bahadur Shastri statue at airport
Earlier, soon after his arrival on a day-long visit, Mr. Modi unveiled a statue of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at the airport.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP working president J.P. Nadda and the party's State unit chief, Mahendra Nath Pandey.
Anil Shastri and Sunil Shastri, sons of late Lal Bahadur Shastri, were present at the venue as also Uttar Pradesh Minister Siddharth Nath Singh, a kin of the former Prime Minister.
This is Mr. Modi’s second visit to his constituency after winning the parliamentary polls. He visited Varanasi on May 27 to thank the voters.
After unveiling the statue of Shastri, the Prime Minister proceeded to launch a tree-plantation campaign — “Anand Kanan” — in the temple city.
He paid tributes to Mookerjee, Jana Sangh founder, on his 118th birth anniversary, saying his contribution to national integration would always be remembered.
In a tweet, Mr. Modi described Mookerjee as a great educationist and a bright nationalist thinker.
