No place for sympathizers of criminals in UP: Yogi Adityanath

Campaigning for the coming urban body election in Shamli district, Yogi said, "There is no place for a single person in UP today who even sympathizes with mafias and criminals. Those collecting Gunda Tax are nowhere to be seen. The ones who used to impose curfews will come seeking votes."

"However, be careful and do not fall into their traps. Youth of Shamli and Muzaffarnagar that remained neglected earlier are being recruited successfully today."

Continuing his attack on the opposition, he said, "Recall what Shamli's condition was six years ago. There were no jobs, or electricity, people could not celebrate festivals and there was Gunda Raj. Out of 75, only 4 districts of UP used to get electricity and the remaining 71 districts remained in darkness."

The CM said there is no curfew in western UP today, with Kanwar Yatras being taken out peacefully.

"I am grateful to the women and sisters of western UP, who have made a maximum contribution in ensuring the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) victory. The businessmen who migrated have returned. Traders, farmers, and daughters are living in an environment, which is free of fear. We will provide free electricity to farmers with private tube wells," he said.

He urged people to choose between a casteist government like the one that existed prior to 2017 and a government that prioritizes the needs of the underprivileged.

"Ever since the double-engine government was formed in UP, benefits of all government welfare schemes have reached every needy without discrimination," he said.

Yogi said that in the last six years, houses have been provided to 54 lakhs poor in the state while 2.61 crore poor people have got toilers and 10 crores have benefited from the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

"The double-engine government is giving free ration to 15 crore poor people. On the other hand, infrastructural development in terms of construction of highways and railways are being carried out," he said.

He said that had a BJP board, the development would have increased at the speed of a bullet train.

"Despite this, about 17,000 houses were provided in the Shamli district. Under PM SVANidhi 7,233 street vendors were given interest-free loans from banks. More than 16,000 destitute women, over 8,500 Divyangjans, and 35,000 old people are also being given pensions. There are 2 lakh beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat in Shamli," he said.

Describing Shamli before and after 2017 in the public meeting, the CM said that six years ago there were riots and curfew in Shamli.

"Neither the daughters were safe nor the mothers were respected. There was politics of appeasement, however, in the last six years traders have become safe and daughters empowered. This means peace, security, harmony, and prosperity have become our identity all around," he said.

[With UNI inputs]