Varanasi, May 21 : Overwhelmed by the huge presence of over 25,000 women at the 'Nari Shakti Sammelan' in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his address at the event on an emotional note on Tuesday.

"This is the first time that I have filed my nomination for Kashi without the blessings of my mother. Mother Ganga had earlier called me to Kashi, now Mother Ganga has adopted me. Even if I am busy, I know you are here to take care of Varanasi. Vishwanath may be the king of Kashi but it is Maa Annapurna who takes care," said PM Modi.

Talking about the apathy of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party towards women, PM Modi said that these parties opposed reservation for women.

"The INDI Alliance's mentality has always been anti-women. They opposed women's reservation. Wherever their government comes to power, it becomes difficult for women to live. The people of Banaras are familiar with the Jungle Raj in UP and Bihar. It was difficult for our sisters and daughters to step out of the house. Daughters had to leave their studies and sit at home due to safety concerns," he said.

"Their leaders said, 'ladke hain, galti ho jaati hai’, but now, if their boys make any mistake, Yogi Adityanath knows how to deal with them," he added.

Crediting his government for making a transformative impact, PM Modi said that for the first time, there is a government at the Centre which cares about the dignity of women.