 "Yogi Adityanath")
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said the BJP government focused on development rather than appeasement, which has improved the standard of living in the state.
Addressing an election meeting in Moradabad, he said there is no mafia raj in Uttar Pradesh -- goons who moved around proudly are now begging for mercy.
The chief minister also spoke at a rally in Pratapgarh, ahead of the two-phase urban local body elections in the state on May 4 and 11. Votes will be counted on May 13.
"The BJP government is moving forward with the basic mantra of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' (inclusive development). We focused on development rather than appeasement of anyone in particular," he said.
Moradabad has a sizeable Muslim population, with a large number of members of the community engaged in making brassware.
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The CM said the brass industry was experiencing a downturn earlier and artisans were migrating. "But today Moradabad's brass business is achieving its glory under our government. Exports have increased, and it is now more well-known internationally," he said.
Adityanath also recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented brasswork by Dilshad Hussain, a Padma Shri winner from Moradabad, to the German Chancellor.
During the civic election campaign, the chief minister has repeatedly stressed on the improvement in law and order during the term of his government.
"Now there is no 'mafia raj' in UP. No extortions or kidnappings for ransom take place. The common man is safe in the state, and the mafia goons who used to proudly wander on the streets are now begging for mercy with placards around their necks," he said.
Adityanath claimed girls couldn't go to school earlier for fear of goons.
He said the government had fulfilled its promise of 24-hour power supply, houses are being built for the poor, and cooking gas cylinders provided under the Ujjwala scheme.
He also listed good roads, effective drainage system, clean drinking water, and an online system for getting certificates related to caste, income, birth and death among the changes brought about by the BJP government.
Only the double-engine government of the BJP supported by the third engine at municipal bodies can ensure this," he said.
In Pratapgarh alone, he said, the government has provided 10,145 houses in urban areas and given interest-free loans to 4,595 street vendors under its welfare schemes.
He added that 14,600 destitute and 11,500 elderly people are getting pension in the district.
Heaps of garbage became the identity of cities in UP earlier and his government is now developing smart and safe cities, he claimed.
"Previous governments were giving pistols to the youth and we are giving them tablets to make them smart. We are ensuring empowerment of all without any discrimination," Adityanath said.
He alleged that parties like the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party were responsible for the rise in crime and the neglect of development in Pratapgarh earlier.
He said the district was earlier known for growing amla' and a tractor manufacturing unit. The factory shut down and people stopped growing amla', he said, blaming the previous governments.
"There was a saying, Sau padha, ek Pratapgarha (one Pratapgarh resident is equal to 100 educated people)," he recalled. But the place lost its glory due to bad governance earlier, he said.
"We are building a four-lane highway between Ayodhya and Chitrakoot that will pass through Pratapgarh. The Ganga Expressway between Meerut and Prayagraj will also pass through Pratapgarh. We have already opened a medical college in Pratapgarh," he said.
Later, addressing a public meeting in Jaunpur, Adityanath said, "By connecting talent with technology and training, the future of our youth is being made bright."
Claiming that the cities of UP are being recognised as smart cities rather than garbage dumps, he said, "There is no terror of miscreants in our cities now, rather they have been recognised as 'safe cities'. Now no one can question the development of UP. The entire world looks at India and Uttar Pradesh now."
"I bow down to the land of Jaunpur which was once known for itra, imarti, and imandari," he said.
Taking a dig at political rivals for neglecting the development in Jaunpur, the UP chief minister said, "Imarti's sweetness was turned bitter here. The place was known for its 'itra', but these people tried to turn the pleasant scent of 'itra' into a stench."
Today, Jaunpur is regaining its lost identity, he added.
Highlighting the improved law and order situation in the state, Adityanath said, "Now there is no 'mafia raj' in UP. No extortions or kidnappings for ransom take place. The common man is safe in the state, and the mafia, who used to proudly wander on the streets, are now begging for mercy with placards around their necks."
In Varanasi, Adityanath, while appealing to the people to vote for BJP's mayoral candidate Ashok Tiwari, said the blessings of Baba Vishwanath' and the prime minister are with Tiwari.
He said in a span of nine years, the country, along with Kashi, has transformed.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India's image (in the world) has become powerful (shashakt), he added.
While addressing a public meeting at a town hall in Gorakhpur, Adityanath said due to the work of the like-minded governments at the Centre, state and the municipal corporation, unprecedented development took place in Gorakhpur and an atmosphere of security was created, which changed people's perception of the city.
Gorakhpur is no longer a city with traffic jams, dirt, mosquito-mafia but is identified as a safe and smart city. To take this identity further, it is necessary to have a triple-engine government here, he added.
Earlier there used to be water-logging in Gorakhpur even with a little rain. Today the government is engaged in a permanent solution to the problem of water-logging. The Tarkulani regulator was made in such a way that there would not be an inch of water-logging even after 72 hours of continuous rain," the CM said.
Adityanath's remarks in Gorakhpur came barely hours after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, while campaigning for his party's mayoral candidate in Lucknow, said, "Recently, I had been to Gorakhpur. People there are worried that the metro (rail) has not been built, and that now they have to move using boats."
Gorakhpur Urban is represented by Adityanath in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
