Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday slammed previous governments for their neglect of eastern Uttar Pradesh, stating that while Kashi has traditionally been known as a centre of religion and spirituality, it is now poised to become a prominent centre for healthcare.

While inaugurating the RJ Sankara Eye Hospital in his Varanasi constituency, he expressed his joy at returning to the city by reciting the Sanskrit phrase “Tamaso ma jyotirgamay” (lead me from darkness to light). He emphasised that Kashi is not only retaining its spiritual identity but is also developing top-tier health facilities.

“For a long time, Kashi’s identity has been that of a centre of religion and spirituality but now, it is also set to emerge as a big centre of healthcare with various top-of-the-line health treatment facilities now available in Varanasi,” the prime minister said.

Modi highlighted that in the past decade, 250 million people have lifted themselves out of poverty, prompting his government to focus on public health. After touring the newly opened eye hospital, he described it as a harmonious blend of spirituality and modernity, set to serve both the elderly and children.

“I have just come back after seeing this eye hospital, it is a blend of spirituality and modernity. This hospital will serve the elderly as well as children,” Modi said.

The RJ Sankara Eye Hospital is operated by the Kanchi Math and is the 14th institution of its kind in India. Before the inauguration, Modi paid his respects to the Shankaracharya of Kanchi and the statue of the former Shankaracharya.

The hospital is expected to benefit residents from 20 districts across eastern Uttar Pradesh and those in border areas of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

During his day-long visit to Varanasi, Modi will also roll out various development initiatives, including a series of airport projects totalling over Rs 6,700 crore. This visit marks his first return to Varanasi since June 18.

Additionally, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), he will lay the foundation stone for airport runway expansion and a new terminal at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, with an estimated cost of around Rs 2,870 crore.

The BJP on Sunday released its first list of 99 candidates for the election to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, fielding Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from his traditional Nagpur South West seat.

Maharashtra’s BJP President, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, is set to contest from Kamthi, and Shrijaya Chavan, the daughter of BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan, has been nominated to run from Bhokar.

The candidate list also includes Mumbai BJP President Ashish Selar for the Vandre West seat, and Nitesh Rane, the son of senior party leader and Lok Sabha MP Narayan Rane, contesting from Kankavli, the seat he currently represents in the assembly.

Other notable candidates are Girish Mahajan from Jamner, Sudhir Mungantiwar from Ballarpur, Mangal Prabhat Lodha from Malabar Hill, Rahul Narwekar from Colaba, and Chhatrapati Shivendra Raje Bhosale, a descendant of Chatrapati Shivaji, running from Satara.

The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, has yet to finalize their seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming Assembly elections.

The BJP is looking to contest around 150 seats in the state but is involved in tough bargaining with its allies and Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured 105 seats, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray-Eknath Shinde faction united) got 56, and the Congress claimed 44. Similarly, in the 2014 elections, the BJP had a stronger performance with 122 seats, while Shiv Sena won 63, and Congress secured 42 seats.

Contrastingly, in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance managed to secure only 17 out of the 48 seats in Maharashtra, in comparison to the Congress-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) winning 30 seats.

The Maharashtra assembly elections for 288 seats are scheduled for November 20, with results expected on November 23.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi asserted on Sunday that the dirty politics of the BJP is responsible for growing air and water pollution in the national capital.

The air quality in the national capital has begun to worsen as winter sets in. Thick layers of toxic chemical froth have been observed covering the surface of the Yamuna river at various locations, particularly at Kalindikunj.

Atishi, newly elected CM, absolved the AAP-ruled Punjab and accused the burning of ‘parali’ (paddy stubble), diesel buses, and brick kilns in the BJP-ruled Haryana for the poor air quality in Delhi.

She also asserted that thousands of diesel buses from Uttar Pradesh arriving at the Kaushambi bus depot on the Delhi-Ghaziabad border, brick kilns in the National Capital Region (NCR), and thermal plants in the region are also contributing to air pollution in Delhi.

According to Atishi, the froth observed on the Yamuna in Delhi is a result of untreated industrial wastewater being discharged into the river.

She highlighted that Haryana releases 165 million gallons per day (MGD) of industrial untreated wastewater through drains into Yamuna, while UP discharges 65 MGD of such polluted water through various drains into the river.

Atishi criticised the BJP, stating that their dirty politics is to blame for the increasing air and water pollution in Delhi, but stressed that AAP, led by Arvind Kejriwal, is committed to assisting the people of the city.

During a press conference, Atishi claimed that data from the central government indicated a reduction in farm fires in Punjab from 71,300 in 2021 to 36,600 in 2023.

She also referred to data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, which indicated a 27% decrease in paddy stubble burning in Punjab between October 1 and 15, from 1105 in 2023 to 811.

Furthermore, she highlighted an increase in farm fires in Haryana and UP, which she attributed to dirty politics by the BJP. Atishi announced that the use of silicone-based defoamers would commence from Sunday night to alleviate the froth layer on the Yamuna’s surface.