Strict action against those misleading people about Varanasi's development: Adityanath

Varanasi, Jan 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said strict action would be taken against those misleading the public on social media about the ongoing work at Manikarnika Ghat.

Addressing reporters at the Circuit House here, Adityanath said the development work in Varanasi, still ongoing, is unprecedented, and that irked the Congress and its allies, who, he alleged, were trying to mislead the public through "false propaganda." "Kashi today is witnessing unprecedented development. Projects worth over Rs 55,000 crore have already been implemented on the ground, writing a new chapter of development," the chief minister said.

He said the rejuvenation had begun with the construction of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, and claimed that, even then, some people had tried to mislead the public by displaying broken idols.

"Today, the truth is before everyone," he said. Adityanath noted that after the completion of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, around 1-1.5 lakh devotees had 'darshan' every day, compared to 10,000 to 15,000 earlier.

He alleged that the Congress and its supporters were making "baseless allegations" over the reconstruction and development work underway at the Manikarnika Ghat.

"The people of Kashi are well aware of the truth and are standing firmly with the development works," he added.

Warning against circulating misinformation, Adityanath said, "Strict action would be taken against those attempting to mislead the public through social media." Meanwhile, reacting to his statements, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav posted on X, "Can you go to the ghats of Varanasi and say this, looking the people of Varanasi in the eye? This isn't a question, it's a challenge. Unfortunate!" PTI COR CDN VN VN