- CM Yogi inaugurates and lays foundation stones for 111 development projects worth ₹682 crore in Mainpuri
- Kanwar Yatra will be celebrated with full enthusiasm; Janmashtami festivities to be held across Uttar Pradesh: CM Yogi
- Ab Curfew Na Danga, UP Mai Sab Changa; there is no shortage of funds for development: CM Yogi
- Every national challenge now finds a solution in Uttar Pradesh; no one questions UP’s capabilities anymore
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “The Samajwadi Party (SP) had claimed that allowing devotees to participate in the Kanwar Yatra would lead to riots.” He alleged that the party did not even permit the blowing of conch shells or the ringing of temple bells and appeared to have an inherent hostility towards saffron attire. He asserted that no one can stop the Kanwar Yatra anymore, adding that it will now be conducted with full enthusiasm and devotees will freely perform jalabhishek in Shiva temples.
He also said, “The SP government had halted Janmashtami celebrations, which the present double-engine government has revived”
The Chief Minister was addressing a gathering during the inauguration and foundation-laying ceremony of 111 development projects worth over ₹682 crore in Mainpuri.
He said, “Uttar Pradesh has transformed from a state known for unrest into a state known for celebrations. “Na Curfew, Na Danga, UP Mai Sab Changa, he remarked.”
Referring to the upcoming Guru Purnima on July 29 and the beginning of the holy month of Shravan, CM Yogi said, “The Kanwar Yatra has already begun. Earlier the Samajwadi Party opposed the pilgrimage, claiming it would trigger communal unrest.”
“They would not allow the blowing of conch shells or the ringing of temple bells. It seemed as though they had a natural aversion to saffron and ochre-coloured clothing,” he said, adding that the double-engine government resolved to ensure that the Kanwar Yatra is celebrated with full grandeur.
The Chief Minister said his government has ensured that no restrictions are imposed on the Kanwar Yatra. “Our government decided that instead of imposing restrictions, we would facilitate the pilgrimage. Devotees will carry holy water and perform jalabhishek at Shiva temples in a disciplined manner,” he said.
CM Yogi said, “No one can now stop the celebration of Shri Krishna Janmashtami.” He noted that grand celebrations are held across Uttar Pradesh, from Mathura and Vrindavan to Mainpuri, Etawah and every other district. He added that Janmashtami is celebrated even in police stations, police lines and jails, alleging that the Samajwadi Party had earlier prohibited such events.
He further said that the Tourism and Culture Department is now actively undertaking temple beautification projects. “Earlier, these funds were spent on constructing boundary walls around graveyards. Today, the same resources are being used for temple beautification,” he said.
He also accused the previous SP government of diverting development funds for the benefit of one family while neglecting the poor. According to him, scholarships did not reach students, jobs slipped away from youth, and women faced insecurity instead of empowerment.
The Chief Minister said, “Mainpuri is now being recognised for its rich historical and spiritual heritage.” He recalled that there was a time when the district carried a negative reputation and its youth struggled to find hotel accommodation or rented homes in other cities. “The double-engine government has given a new identity to the land of sages Mayan and Chyavan. Today, the youth, farmers and traders of Mainpuri are respected wherever they go in the country,” he said, attributing the earlier situation to previous governments.
He also alleged that under earlier governments, government jobs required bribery. Today, he said, youth from Mainpuri and Etawah receive appointment letters on merit and contribute proudly to building a new Uttar Pradesh.
CM Yogi said, “Uttar Pradesh is no longer considered a ‘BIMARU’ state but has become a revenue-surplus state and one of India’s top three economic contributors. “There is no shortage of money in Uttar Pradesh. Whatever funds are required for development will be provided. There is no shortage of jobs for youth or welfare schemes for farmers,” he said.
He added, “Government schemes have been implemented without caste-based discrimination. Through the farm loan waiver programme, around 8.6 million farmers benefited irrespective of caste or community. Similarly, the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme has been implemented without discrimination, and Mainpuri’s Tarkashi craft has received global recognition.”
The Chief Minister alleged that during the previous government, many respectable families preferred sending their daughters outside Uttar Pradesh for education because criminal elements associated with the Samajwadi Party had made life difficult for women and their families. He also claimed that traders hesitated to invest in Uttar Pradesh due to concerns about their personal safety.
CM Yogi referred to the shooting of former BJP district president Madan Chauhan at his petrol pump in Mainpuri during the SP government’s tenure. He said that traders feared for their lives while stepping out of their homes. In response, the BJP government adopted a policy of zero tolerance towards crime and criminals. He said, “Organised crime networks in Etawah and Mainpuri have been dismantled, the state has been freed from mafia influence, women’s safety has been strengthened, and criminals have either been jailed or eliminated through legal action.”
He remarked that such transformation required time and could not have been achieved before 2017. Taking an apparent dig at political opponents, he said that a person who wakes up at noon, gets ready at 2 p.m., goes to the gym at 5 p.m., and spends evenings in social gatherings cannot have a vision for development. “Their only objective was to loot public resources for their family, and that is what led Uttar Pradesh into decline,” he said.
The Chief Minister alleged that recruitment processes under the previous government involved bribery and extortion. Today, he said, even youth from Mainpuri confirm that they receive government jobs without recommendations or illegal payments. He said more than 900,000 young people have received government jobs, while the revival of traditional industries has generated employment for over 32.5 million people.
He added, “An improved law-and-order environment has attracted investment proposals worth ₹50 lakh crore to the state and increased per capita income.”
“No one questions Uttar Pradesh anymore. Instead, the country now looks towards Uttar Pradesh for solutions to its problems,” he said.
He cautioned people against attempts to divide society on the basis of caste or region, calling such forces enemies of society and the nation. He also warned that such divisive politics had historically invited foreign invasions and alleged that similar conspiracies are re-emerging.
CM Yogi said his government is developing the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Employment Zone, whereas the Samajwadi Party showed no interest in such initiatives. He said, “The government is constructing labour hostels in the name of Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar, while the SP had removed the names of great personalities from institutions.”
He also alleged that the SP had removed Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s name from the medical college in Kannauj, whereas the current government is establishing medical colleges in his honour.
He said, “If Uttar Pradesh is to become a developed state, Mainpuri must also develop. This requires every Assembly constituency and every development block in Mainpuri and Karhal to progress under a comprehensive development plan.”
The Chief Minister assured farmers that they will receive a minimum of 10 hours of electricity supply. He said he deliberately visited Mainpuri in July to assess the rainfall and water situation firsthand. The government, he added, is working on a priority basis to resolve all issues affecting the district and ensure uninterrupted development. “The people of Mainpuri will not have to face disappointment. Mainpuri must prepare itself to become part of a Viksit Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
The programme began with a tree plantation drive led by the Chief Minister. He later participated in traditional Godh Bharai ceremonies by presenting fruit baskets to expectant mothers and also took part in Annaprashan for children. He affectionately interacted with the children, presented them with gifts, visited the exhibition organised at the venue, and distributed school bags and kits to students at the Basic Education Department stall.
He appreciated development models prepared by schoolchildren and reviewed products made by women associated with self-help groups. The Chief Minister also visited stalls related to the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Yojana, Mission Shakti and other government initiatives.
The event was attended by Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Home Guards and Civil Defence Dharmveer Prajapati, MLA Ramnaresh Agnihotri, BJP State Vice President Alok Gupta, Regional President Puran Lal Lodhi, District President Mamta Rajput, District In-charge Anil Chaudhary, DCB Chairman Narendra Singh Rathore, Mainpuri District Panchayat Administrator Archana Bhadauria, Municipal Council Chairperson Sangeeta Gupta, along with other BJP leaders and dignitaries.
