AAP to promote Varanasi as global spiritual capital

Fostering development while upholding tradition will be the crux of the AAP’s manifesto for the ancient city of Varanasi, where the party’s chief, Arvind Kejriwal, will take on BJP’s PM nominee Narendra Modi and Congress leader Ajay Rai in one of the key battles of the ongoing LS elections.

Fostering development while upholding tradition will be the crux of the AAP’s manifesto for the ancient city of Varanasi, where the party’s chief, Arvind Kejriwal, will take on BJP’s PM nominee Narendra Modi and Congress leader Ajay Rai in one of the key battles of the ongoing LS elections.

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A special package for Varanasi to improve its civic amenities would be a part of the manifesto, which will be released soon, sources said. “We will also demand the status of world spiritual capital for Varanasi in Parliament,” said an AAP leader, requesting anonymity.

Varanasi is believed to be one of the oldest living cities in the world. In keeping with its historical significance, promotion of kulhars (clay cups) instead of plastic ones and plates of banyan and sal leaves instead of thermocol are also likely to find mention in the party’s poll promise document for the city. The holy Ganga river will also find mention in the manifesto, as will the prestiguous Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

The party is set to demand the restoration of the student’s union in the university. The university, at present, only has a students’ council, which is in the de-facto control of the administration.

The city is yet to be included in the UNESCO world heritage list, a long-pending demand.