Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, launched the BJP’s campaign for the upcoming municipal elections by harshly criticising the state’s former “mafia raj” on Monday.
On this particular day, CM Adityanath spoke at public gatherings in three districts, extolling the virtues of the state’s “double-engine government” to the audience. The jailed politician-turned-gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were killed in Prayagraj, and the Opposition has continued to criticise the current state of law and order in response. The CM claimed that under his leadership, there had never been a single riot or curfew in the state, and everything was fine in UP.
The CM attacked the former “mafia raj” in the state, claiming that no one is left to cry for seasoned criminals today.
According to Chief Minister Adityanath, “the mafia raj in Uttar Pradesh is now consigned to history,” and he urged the populace to vote for a “triple-engine government” to boost the state’s growth.
The same, he continued, would only occur if the populace made up its mind to assist the BJP in seizing control of the state’s municipal organisations. From the Maharaj Singh Degree College grounds on Janta Road in Saharanpur, the CM started the wave of protests.
“Today, there is no curfew and no riots in UP. Everything is fine,” the CM said, adding that extortions and abductions for ransom no longer take place in the state and UP had ceased to be a “family’s personal fief”.
“Mafias and criminals have become a thing of the past in UP,” the CM added.
“The UP of today stands as a symbol of security, prosperity and employment,” Adityanath said, adding, “Our state is no longer known for curfews but for the Kanwar Yatra. Our identity is not violence but to set aside our differences and celebrate all festivals together. This is not a land of the mafia but of festivals. Now it is up to us to decide whether there should be terror in our cities or should we make them safe. Do we want to see pistols in the hands of our youth or tablets?”
He said, “There was a time when gangsters and mafias would threaten people, but all of those things are gone now, and no one is crying for them.”
“I don’t know where the extortionists have gone. Those who imposed curfews during their rule would come asking for votes from you. Do not pay attention to them,” the CM said.
Using the state’s recruitment programmes, he claimed, the youngsters of Shamli were able to obtain employment chances. He added that this was not the case before to 2017, when the youths of Shamli and Muzaffarnagar were denied employment prospects.
“We need to remember the situation of Shamli six years ago, the migration from Kairana and Kandhla, the goonda raj (rule of goons), riots, lack of basic facilities, no jobs for the youth, no safety for traders and rampant extortion. Also, people in 71 of the 75 districts lived in darkness. Today, our daughters say that with ‘Baba’ as the chief minister, there was no need for them to feel afraid at all. This belief is our strength,” CM Adityanath said.
The CM declared the purpose of UP to be the fulfilment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision while addressing a crowd in Amroha. He continued by saying that state-wide development initiatives are being carried out as part of this aim.
Claiming that Amroha will soon be connected by two expressways, he added, “We have given the status of a state fair to the Tigri fair, which is a popular calendar event here. Now Amroha has become a land of festivals and not of criminals. Now the time has come for us to take this development journey forward, at the speed of a bullet train, through a triple engine and that can only happen if you bring us to power across municipal bodies.”
The CM asserted that there was enough of money available for development and continued, “I urge to ensure that the money that comes from Delhi and Lucknow are used for the welfare of the poor and the youth.”
