After Bengal campaign blitz, Amit Shah visits Gangasagar, offers prayers for soldiers

After a hectic election campaign in West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday visited Gangasagar, located at the sacred confluence of Hooghly River and the Bay of Bengal, and offered prayers for the bravehearts of the Indian Army. Shah also offered prayers at the confluence, described as a sacred spot where the river meets the sea.

After a hectic election campaign in West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday visited Gangasagar, located at the sacred confluence of Hooghly River and the Bay of Bengal, and offered prayers for the bravehearts of the Indian Army. ''I paid my respects to our brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. Every Indian is proud of the courage of our security forces who lay down their lives for the country despite unimaginable challenges,'' he said at Gangasagar in South 24 Parganas. At the heritage Kapil Muni temple, Shah performed a puja and sought blessings for the nation's well-being. ''I prayed to Maharishi Kapil, a symbol of knowledge, sacrifice and penance, for the welfare of the people of the country. His life and philosophy are an inspiration for every Indian,'' he said. Shah also offered prayers at the confluence, described as a sacred spot where the river meets the sea. ''I had the fortune of offering prayers at this holy place where the Ganga meets the sea. The sacred Ganga fills the mind with immense peace and spiritual bliss. May Maa Ganga continue to bless the people of the country,'' he said in X posts in Hindi and Bengali. Hooghly River is the westernmost distributary of the Ganga. The visit comes after months of hectic campaigning by the senior BJP leader across West Bengal for the ongoing Assembly elections. The second and final phase of voting will take place on April 29. The first phase of elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly was held on April 23. Votes will be counted on May 4. During the day, Shah led roadshows at Behala in south Kolkata and at Chandannagar in Hooghly district, drawing huge crowds.