Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday asked the migrants from his state to contribute in the development of Mumbai and Maharashtra, but not to forget their roots and the land of their forefathers.
He said over 3.5 crore devotees have so far taken a holy dip at the Sangam - the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj - where the Kumbh Mela is currently going on.
More than 15 crore devotees are expected to take a holy dip at the Kumbh Mela site by the time the mega congregation ends on March 4, Adityanath said.
Adityanath was here to attend the 31st Uttar Pradesh Foundation Day celebration in Mumbai organised by a local BJP leader.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, too, attended the celebration.
Highlighting the arrangements made by the Uttar Pradesh government for the Kumbh, Adityanath said, "All sorts of research were taken into account to make the Ganga's water pure, pious and clean and make arrangements hassle-free."
"However, had they come to UP, we would have dealt with them at our border only. We know how to deal with such people."
Addressing the gathering, Fadnavis said, "Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have long association. This bond between Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra is so deep that it seems like sugar has been added into milk ('doodh me shakkar ke tarah samathit')...and contributing equally in development of the state."