Varanasi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers are gearing up to give Prime Minister Narendra Modi a grand welcome as he travels by road from Police Line to Namo Ghat on Sunday to attend the Indian Air Force’s air show over the Ganga.Modi will first inaugurate a unit of Arvind Mill in Mirzamurad after arriving in Varanasi and later reach Police Line by helicopter before proceeding to Namo Ghat by road.To finalise preparations for welcoming the PM, who is also the Varanasi MP, different BJP units are holding a series of meetings and assigning responsibilities to office-bearers for various arrangements.BJP Kashi region president Ashok Chaurasia said Modi will arrive at Varanasi airport at 10 am. From there, he will travel by helicopter to Mirzamurad to inaugurate Arvind Mill’s unit. He will then reach Police Line by helicopter at noon before travelling by road to Namo Ghat to attend the IAF air show being organised over the Ganga.Welcome points are being set up at several locations along the route from Police Line to Namo Ghat, Chaurasia said. The party is preparing to create a devotional and enthusiastic atmosphere in Kashi with drum beats, performances by damru groups, conch-blowing, cultural dances, and chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Har Har Mahadev”. Modi will also be welcomed with a shower of flowers along the route, he added.The BJP has assigned responsibilities to its workers and drawn up a plan to create a festive atmosphere along the entire route, Chaurasia said. Cultural programmes will be organised at several locations, including the Police Line main gate, Police Line crossing, Khajuri-Maqbool Alam Road in front of Yes Bank, Hukulganj Tirmuhani, Chowkaghat Lakdi Mandi, in front of City Station, Golgadda crossing railway underpass, Bhadau Chungi, the stretch before the railway bridge, the slope leading to Namo Ghat, and the area in front of the CNG station at the Namo Ghat turn. Welcome points are being set up at these locations.Special welcome arrangements will also be made at Namo Ghat. BJP workers will join local residents in welcoming the Prime Minister at these locations. Preparations are under way to showcase Kashi’s religious and cultural identity through performances and traditional musical instruments.Chaurasia said that after the air show concludes at Namo Ghat at 2 pm, Modi will return to Police Line by road. From there, he will travel by helicopter to Lal Bahadur Shastri International (LBSI) Airport before leaving for Delhi by plane.Rajnath to welcome Modi at Namo GhatVaranasi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh will arrive in Varanasi on Saturday to attend the Indian Air Force’s air show on Oct 25.He will offer prayers at the Sankat Mochan and Kaal Bhairav temples. He is expected to stay overnight at the Gorkha Training Centre.On Sunday morning, he will welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Namo Ghat. Governor Anandiben Patel, chief minister Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries are also expected to join Modi and Rajnath in watching the air show.
