PM Modi takes boat ride on Hooghly river, reaffirms commitment to Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a boat ride on the Hooghly river in Kolkata on Friday morning

He reached Princep Ghat for the boat ride after spending the night at Lok Bhavan following a roadshow from Howrah to Kolkata on Thursday evening

During the ride, he was seen seated on a wooden boat holding a camera, with the Howrah Bridge and Vidyasagar Setu visible in the background

He shared photographs of the boat ride on social media platform X, where he noted that he had attempted to photograph the river and had observed the two iconic bridges from close quarters

He said on social media that the Hooghly, a distributary of the Ganga, held deep significance for the people of Bengal and reflected the spirit of an entire civilisation

He added in the post that he had spent time along the riverbank in Kolkata expressing gratitude to the Ganga

He also mentioned that he had interacted with boatmen and morning walkers during the visit and had observed their daily routines along the river

He further said that during his time on the Hooghly, he reiterated his commitment to the development of West Bengal and the prosperity of its people

The visit took place amid his campaign for the West Bengal Assembly elections, with the second phase scheduled for April 29 and counting of votes on May 4