PM Modi accuses previous governments of neglecting centres of faith

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the previous governments of leaving the centres of faith across the country in a state of neglect for years and claimed that these places are now being restored to their lost glory.

Citing the examples of the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Ujjain and Ayodhya, where major reconstruction work has been carried out in recent years, Modi attributed the "years of neglect" of these places to a "slave mentality".

"Pride in our own legacy and every possible effort for development are the foundation of a 21st-century India," the prime minister said while addressing a gathering in Uttarakhand's Mana village on the India-China border, after laying the foundation stones of two ropeway projects to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib.

Earlier in the day, Modi offered prayers at the famous Kedarnath and Badrinath temples in Uttarakhand.