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Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the banks of the River Hooghly in West Bengal as a "photo shoot," and questioned him on the cleanliness of the River Ganga.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, Pramod Tiwari said, "He went for the photo shoot. In Banaras, during his first election, he declared, 'I have not come on my own; Ganga Maiya has called me. Within 100 days, I will give pure water.' Now, a decade later, at the Kumbh in Prayagraj, reports revealed the water was not even fit for bathing." Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday started his day at the River Hooghly in Kolkata and met with the boatmen. The PM expressed committment to develop the state of West Bengal amid the election season. In a post on X, the PM reflected on the significance of the holy river Ganga, stating that it flows through "the soul of Bengal." He shared pictures of himself in a boat sailing through the waters of the Hooghly. "For every Bengali, the Ganga occupies a very special place. One can say that the Ganga flows through the soul of Bengal. Her divine waters carry the timeless spirit of an entire civilisation. This morning in Kolkata, I spent some time on the banks of the Hooghly river, an opportunity to express gratitude to Maa Ganga. Also had the opportunity to meet boatmen, whose hardworking nature is admirable and morning walkers. On the Hooghly, reiterated our commitment to work towards the development of West Bengal and the prosperity of the great Bengali people," he wrote. The polling for Phase I of the Assembly elections concluded at 6 pm on Thursday, with West Bengal recording a significantly higher voter turnout of 92.88 per cent, according to the Election Commission of India. The high turnout figures underline an active electoral exercise as polling drew to a close amid tight security arrangements across constituencies. The polling for the second phase will be held on April 29, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4. (ANI)
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