Express News Service
LUCKNOW: Goons and mafia were fleeing Uttar Pradesh under Yogi Adityanath government, Union Home minister Amit Shah claimed on Sunday.
Leading the BJP’s Jan Vishwas Yatra in Jalon and Kasganj districts, Shah said people were free from the terror of mafia and criminals and were sending their children school fearlessly while those who used to terrorise the common man were now seeking shelter outside UP fearing for their lives.
Slammed the opposition for playing caste politics, Shah said under the previous Samajwadi Party rule, 3Ps — “parivarvad” (dynastic politics), “pakshpaat” (bias) and “palayan” (exodus) — were dominant and it was only after his party’s government came to power in the state, the politics of “vikasvad” (development) started.
“What SP and BSP could not do in their regimes, the Yogi government did in five years,” he said and listed improved power supply, free electricity connections, toilets, water and food for all and free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh for all as the accomplishments of the state government.
Invoking Rani Lakshmi Bai and Chhatrasaal in Jalon, the minister said from Mughals to the British, all had bitten the dust in the land of the brave, Bundelkhand.
He said the BJP made a hat-trick of electoral wins since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in the state.
“Now in 2022, the BJP will hit a ‘chaukaa’ (four runs) by winning UP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji. This time, the BJP will cross 300 seats in the UP Assembly,” he claimed.
Shah also praised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his governance, saying people were not afraid anymore to send their children to school.
“In five years of Yogi Adityanath government, all goons have made an exodus from UP,” he said while addressing “Jan Vishwas Yatras” in Kasganj and Jalaun.
The Union minister also accused the BSP and the SP of playing caste politics and not working for development when they governed the state.
Attacking Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shah said he is “angry” as the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya has begun and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “given respect to the Muslim women by bringing an end to triple talaq”.
“Akhileshji is seeing dreams of Sheikh Chilli (daydreaming) that the people of UP will elect the SP and the construction of the Ram temple will halt. But, no matter what efforts Akhileshji make, no one can stop the construction of a grand Ram temple,” he said.
Shah claimed that during the rule of the Samajwadi Party, BSP and the Congress, there used to be a “bahubali” (strongman) in every district.
But now every district is known for its special product, he said.
“Earlier, every district used to have a mini CM but now every district has a medical college. Earlier in Uttar Pradesh, there were riots, but now universities, medical colleges and airports are being built. Industries are being set up,” he said.
In the five years of Akhilesh government, more than 700 riots took place, Shah alleged.
But in the Yogi Adityanath government, no one has the courage to incite a riot,” he said.
Shah claimed there has been a dip in cases of dacoity by 70 per cent, 65 per cent in loot, 50 per cent in abduction and ransom and cases of rape have declined by 65 per cent.
“The BJP has worked to give security to mothers and sisters,” he claimed.
He also spoke about various projects and achievements of the Centre and state government.
“In the government of Narendra Modi, 49,000 hectares has been covered under irrigation schemes,” he said.
Speaking about the recently inaugurated Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi, Shah said the holy site used to wear a “deserted” look before it was beautified under the watch of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The BJP leader also remembered former state chief minister Kalyan Singh, saying the victory of the party in 2014, 2017, and 2019 would not have been possible without his advice.
Singh died in Lucknow on August 21 at the age of 89.
He was a prominent backward caste leader and a Hindutva icon.
Kasganj district comes under Etah parliamentary constituency and is currently represented in the Lok Sabha by Rajveer Singh, Kalyan Singh’s son.
“It was Kalyan Singh, who first spoke about good governance in Uttar Pradesh. Kalyan Singh was the first to speak about the backward class people in Uttar Pradesh, and it was he who gave rights to the people of the backward castes,” Shah said.
He also said it was Kalyan Singh who resigned from his chief minister post within hours of demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992.
Speaking on the Ram Temple, he asked those who gathered whether they would vote for the same people who fired at ‘kar sevaks’.
The reference was made to the Mulayam Singh government’s decision to open fire at ‘kar sevaks’, who had gathered near the Ramjanmabhoomi site in Ayodhya in 1990.
Shah’s tour to Kasganj is part of the campaign which will cover more than 140 constituencies in the poll-bound state, party sources said.
Keeping caste equations in mind, each programme will be attended by people from three OBC-dominated constituencies, two urban constituencies, one scheduled castes-dominated constituency and one minority-dominated constituency, they said.
(With PTI Inputs)
