LUCKNOW: In a scathing attack on Samajwadi Party, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said, schemes of earlier governments were not framed by ministers or officers, but by “criminals, mafias and contractors”. Yogi made the remark at the ‘prabuddh samellan’ organized by BJP in Lucknow north assembly constituency on Saturday.
“What was the situation in UP more than four years ago? Roads were riddled with potholes, there was no electricity, riots occurred every third day and corruption was rampant. There was complete anarchy with the state ruled by a party that professed nepotism and patronised corruption and criminals. This is bound to raise an identity crisis, stall development and block prospects of youth,” he said. “I am surprised when the Opposition talks about development. When the state faced an onslaught of diseases like dengue and Japanese encephalitis, the then regime enjoyed song and dance by Bollywood stars in Saifai,” he said, unleashing another frontal attack on Samajwadi Party.
“Imagine what would have happened if the pandemic occurred before 2017 (when BJP came to power),” Yogi said. “Ministers would have been having fun while people died,” he said, maintaining his government managed to control the first and the second wave. His fresh assertion vis-a-vis pandemic comes amid opposition salvos slamming the BJP regime for failing to control the pandemic. “I visited districts and encouraged the government machinery. When I contracted the virus, I waited for requisite days. But soon after recovering I began touring the state,” he said.
In a veiled attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Yogi said: “Some people run to Italy whenever there is a crisis in the country. Many in their family became PM because of UP. But they criticise the state when they go outside. They do the same for India when they go out of the country,” he said. Without naming Congress, Yogi said, their leaders did not believe in Lord Ram and Krishna. “Jo accidentally Hindu banega toh yahi hoga...,” he remarked.
The CM said, his government has brought about a sea change by ensuring a robust law and order. “Now, no encroachment on government or private land happens,” Yogi said, stressing bulldozers of his government were always ready for razing illegal occupation. The CM said, UP was now a revenue surplus state, which has amazed finance ministers of many states.
Individual interests of people from various caste, sects and religion were “insignificant” in front of ‘rashtra dharma’ (nationalism), he added.
Making a veiled reference to the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, Yogi insisted it was the erstwhile Jan Sangh which stood firmly against the anti-democratic step and powered the constitution of the Janata Party. “And it was under the BJP stalwart Atal Behari Vajpayee that a coalition government was formed,” he said.
