Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi rode an e-boat and an e-rickshaw in Varanasi on Sunday and said India has to become stronger by empowering its poor. The prime minister flew into Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, after launching the Pradhar Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, under which free LPG connections will be given to five crore poor women, earlier in Ballia.

"Schemes that strengthen the people are important, not schemes that strengthen vote banks. India has to become stronger," Modi said at the Assi Ghat after the boat ride on the Ganges. "We are empowering the poor so that they can battle poverty," he added. "Our experience during the Jan Dhan Yojana brought out the richness of the poor," he said.