Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday accused the opposition of attempting to divide people on caste lines to obstruct development and alleged that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party had failed to promote development while in power.
Addressing a public meeting in Pipraich assembly constituency of Gorakhpur after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of 24 development projects worth over Rs 757 crore and distributing certificates to beneficiaries under various government schemes, Adityanath said development was the key to prosperity and warned against attempts to divide society.
"Remember, the opposition's conspiracy to divide people in the name of caste is aimed at creating obstacles in these development works. When Samajwadi Party or Congress were in power, there was no development and no encouragement for development works," he said.
Referring to the Congress, the chief minister said, "Today I was reading the statement of a Congress leader claiming that the party had never said Lord Ram was imaginary. I want to ask about the affidavit filed by the Congress-led Union government in the Supreme Court in 2006, in which it attempted to describe Lord Ram and Lord Krishna as myths."
Adityanath also accused the Congress of disrespecting Hindu faith and said, "The Congress, from the very beginning, has played with Hindu faith. It opposed inviting the country's first president Dr Rajendra Prasad to the consecration ceremony of the reconstructed Somnath temple and repeatedly insulted India's great personalities."
Targeting the Samajwadi Party, he said, "Its history is stained with the blood of Ram devotees. It insulted India's heritage and identity. Recall how riots took place during the tenure of the Samajwadi Party and Congress governments, how festivals were restricted and Kanwar Yatra was stopped."
Claiming that the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state were simultaneously promoting development and preserving heritage, Adityanath said the opposition was unable to accept the pace of development under the "double-engine" government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said better connectivity accelerated progress and prosperity, highlighting various infrastructure and healthcare projects in eastern Uttar Pradesh, including AIIMS Gorakhpur, revival of the Gorakhpur fertiliser plant, upgrade of BRD Medical College and the proposed Ayush University.
The chief minister said earlier in the day, he had visited Kushinagar, where development works are progressing rapidly, and stressed that any disruption to development due to social divisions would adversely affect both present and future generations.
Recalling the situation before 2017, Adityanath said the region had suffered from encephalitis, migration, backwardness and poor implementation of welfare schemes.
He said healthcare facilities had since expanded and welfare benefits such as free ration, health insurance and pensions were reaching the poor, women and the elderly.
