Varanasi, Aug. 3 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Varanasi comes at a time when both India and the world have witnessed the country's strength and capabilities through the successful execution of Operation Sindoor. Referring to the military operation in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Adityanath said, "This New India has the courage to crush the perpetrators of terror into the ground and eliminate enemies by entering their territory. Adityanath was addressing a gathering during the inauguration/foundation stone laying ceremony organised at Banauli gram sabha in Sewapuri, Varanasi, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "PM Modi's arrival in Kashi today follows the triumph of Operation Sindoor. On behalf of the people of UP, I welcome and congratulate the PM." Highlighting Modi's global stature, the chief minister said, "PM Modi is the most popular leader in the world. In the past 11 years, more than 50 countries have honoured him with their highest civilian awards." "The world respects his vision for public welfare and global good. Last month, countries like Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Namibia, and Brazil bestowed their top civilian honours on prime minister Modi, making all 140 crore Indians proud." He also underlined the pride that Varanasi, or Kashi, takes on being represented by Modi as its MP. "It is a matter of immense pride that Prime Minister Modi represents 'Avinashi Kashi' (the indestructible city of Kashi) in Parliament. Over the last 11 years, Kashi has emerged as a unique confluence of the ancient and the new -- a blend of spirituality and modernity that continues to draw global attention," he said. He also said that Modi's presence in his Lok Sabha constituency for the 51st time is unprecedented for any prime minister. In Varanasi, he said, projects worth over Rs 16,000 crore are currently in various stages of progress. "So far, PM has inaugurated projects worth Rs 34,000 crore out of the Rs 51,000 crore sanctioned for Varanasi in recent years," he said. Adityanath added that during his visit on Saturday, Modi launched development projects worth nearly Rs 2,200 crore for the people of Kashi. These include initiatives in connectivity, water supply, education, healthcare, sports, cultural rejuvenation, and all-round regional development. Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya, Brajesh Pathak, UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary, UP ministers SP Shahi, Suresh Khanna, Anil Rajbhar, Ravindra Jaiswal and Dayashankar Mishra 'Dayalu' were present on the occasion....