My government stands by honest and hard-working people: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his government is with the hard-working and honest people of the nation and in the past four-and-a-half years the BJP government under him has reversed the country's downslide, besides changing the attitude of 'sab chalta hai' (everything is acceptable) and has been working for the betterment of all sections of the society.

Addressing a gathering at the Sant Ravidas Temple, Modi warned people with ill-gotten money and those involved in graft that they would not be spared.

"Recently you have all seen that crores of honest tax payers from the middle class have been exempted from paying tax if their income falls within the Rs 5 lakh slab," Modi said to rousing applause.

It has been a good fortune of the people in the country that they have been blessed and guided by saints for ages, said Modi, who made his debut in the Lok Sabha from here in Uttar Pradesh in 2014.

He also said that he considered himself fortunate to be representing the constituency and to have come twice to the Ravidas temple in the past few years.

"I had committed myself in 2016 that this place will be developed and when the Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government took over in the state, I asked then to get a detailed project report (DPR) prepared," he added.

In Shir Govardhan, addressing the followers of Guru Ravidas, mystic poet-saint of the Bhakti Movement, the Prime Minister said as part of the development the area will have a community centre, besides which a new route will be created to the temple.

A 12-km road from the Benaras Hindu University (BHU) will be beautified and a bronze statue of the seer, who was born over six centuries ago, would also be installed.

Modi also pointed out that his government's mission of 'sabka saath sabka vikaas' has been greatly inspired by the values and teachings of Sant Ravidas.

Later, Modi also inaugurated a cancer hospital - Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre - at the BHU where eminent industrialist Ratan Tata was also present. He also inaugurated the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital at Lahartara.

Earlier, soon after his arrival at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport, where he was welcomed by Governor Ram Naik and Adityanath among others, he flagged off the world's first diesel-to-electric converted locomotive and interacted with a group of "divyaangs".

--IANS

md/in/ab