Investment in UP was distant dream 6 years ago: Yogi slams previous govts

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday took potshots at previous opposition governments, claiming people were earlier apprehensive about setting up industries and businesses in the state due to "poor" law and order.

"Investment in Uttar Pradesh was a distant dream till six years ago," he said in his address here after laying the foundation stone of a distillery with an investment of Rs 1,200 crore.

Entrepreneurs and businessmen even from Uttar Pradesh moved out during previous governments, the chief minister said. "When entrepreneurs and businessmen themselves were not safe, how would their capital be safe?"

However, over the past six years (the BJP came to power in the state in 2017), law and order in Uttar Pradesh "became an example in the whole country", he said.

"Every investor wants to come to UP and wants to invest here. The investment proposal of Rs 36 lakh crore received at the Global Investors Summit in February is proof of this shift," he added.

The chief minister claimed the people of Uttar Pradesh faced an identity crisis until six years ago when the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party ruled in succession. "The youth of UP could not find any place to stay in the country."

People in other states did not want to rent out houses to youths from UP, he said. "There was a problem in getting a hostel. Students were forced to hide their identity. Today there is no such identity crisis in front of the youth," he added.

Taking a jibe at the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, Adityanath said the two parties only do mischief whenever they meet. He said the country's image has changed in nine years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.