Modi was also allowed to interact with "intellectuals" at a hotel and do the Ganga aarti but the BJP called off those events saying the green signal came too late.
The Gujarat chief minister asked the Election Commission to ensure free and fair polling Monday, the last round of the staggered Lok Sabha election that began April 7.
Accusing Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi of targeting him for challenging them, he said his only agenda for coming to Kashi - as Varanasi is known - was to promote development.
Spelling out his vision for the temple town, he said he wants to put Varanasi on the global tourism map by showcasing its ghats, temples and other heritage monuments.
He said the winds of development will sweep the city only if he won from Varanasi, where his main opponents are AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and Ajay Rai of the Congress.
Modi also accused the Congress-led central government of harassing him for more than a decade by unleashing the CBI after him.
"Now they do not even want to see my face," he said to loud cheers.
He recalled the late Apna Dal founder Sonelal Patel in his address. The Apna Dal is in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Varanasi is home to a large number of Patels.
Modi said he did not believe in caste politics but "I feel sad when my opponents ask about my caste".
Here we are giving you live updates of Modi's rally::
