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Tag: Yogi Adityanath

  • Jinnah continues to dominate UP’s political discourse as Yogi now calls Akhilesh Taliban supporter

    By Express News Service

    LUCKNOW:  Hitting out at SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused him of being a “Taliban supporter” as he “eulogised Jinnah”. 

    “Those who support Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in a way support the Taliban,” said the CM while attacking the Opposition at a social conference organised by the BJP to strengthen its ground force ahead of the 2022 UP Assembly elections.

    Cautioning against the opposition parties and listing out his government’s achievements, the CM said: “One has to be careful with such people. BJP has done what it said. Article 370 from Kashmir was removed. Today a grand Ram temple is being built in Ayodhya. Before 2014, the benefit of housing scheme was available to those who were close to the people in power, but today the  poor are being given housing without any discrimination.”

    His remark is seen as a veiled dig at the Samajwadi Party (SP).

    Om Prakash Rajbhar, the chief of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the SP, had on Thursday blamed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for the country’s partition, a day after saying India would have remained unified had Muhammad Ali Jinnah been made its first prime minister.

    Earlier, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had equated Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, with Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru.

    With months to go for the Assembly polls in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, Jinnah appears to be dominating the political discourse.

    Addressing the Samajik Pratinidhi Sammelan here, Adityanath said, “Those who are speaking about the partition are in a way extending support to the Taliban. As soon as the Taliban resurfaced in Afghanistan, a number of voices started to come up in its support. When strong action was taken, these voices went soft.”

    “Supporting the Taliban means supporting a power that works against humanity, against Lord Buddha’s message of ‘maitri’ (friendship). Certain people are moving in that direction and we need to be aware of them,” he added.

    The BJP leader said those supporting the Taliban need to learn from the past “We should not forget how Buddha’s statues were destroyed in Bamiyan (in Afghanistan) by the Taliban. Breaking the statues of Buddha means trying to put an end to peace. Twenty years ago, when this incident took place, we thought that one day, they (Taliban) will face ‘durgati’ (misfortune). A few days later, the US dropped bombs on them. Back then, I had said they reaped what they sowed,” he said.

    Without naming any political party, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, “The opposition does not have any issue to raise. Rashtranayak (national hero) Sardar Patel is on one side and Jinnah, who divided the country, is on the other. They support Jinnah and insult Patel. But we support Patel. He is a rashtranayak while Jinnah will remain a villain for centuries. Will you support those supporting Jinnah?”

    Referring to history books, he said, “History never termed emperor Ashoka or Chandragupta Maurya great, but it termed Alexander, who was defeated by Chandragupta Maurya, great. Historians are silent on such issues. However, once the countrymen learn the truth, India will change.”

    Hitting back at Adityanath, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted, “Hindutva is a fake history factory. Chandragupta and Alexander never met in war. This is yet another example of why we need good public education system. In absence of good schools, Baba-log get to make up facts according to convenience. Baba doesn’t value education and it shows.”

    Showering praises on Narendra Modi, Adityanath said the prime minister is making the country resurgent and the philosophy of “Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat” entails this.

    Addressing a public meeting in Hardoi, the SP chief had said, “Sardar Patel, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Jinnah studied in the same institute and became barristers. They helped the country achieve independence and never backed away from any struggle.”

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Those raking up partition extending support to Taliban: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Those who are raising the issue of partition are in a way supporting the Taliban, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday.

    His remark is seen as a veiled dig at the Samajwadi Party (SP).

    Om Prakash Rajbhar, the chief of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the SP, had on Thursday blamed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for the country’s partition, a day after saying India would have remained unified had Muhammad Ali Jinnah been made its first prime minister.

    Earlier, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had equated Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, with Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru.

    With months to go for the Assembly polls in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, Jinnah appears to be dominating the political discourse.

    Addressing the Samajik Pratinidhi Sammelan here, Adityanath said, “Those who are speaking about the partition are in a way extending support to the Taliban. As soon as the Taliban resurfaced in Afghanistan, a number of voices started to come up in its support. When strong action was taken, these voices went soft.”

    “Supporting the Taliban means supporting a power that works against humanity, against Lord Buddha’s message of ‘maitri’ (friendship). Certain people are moving in that direction and we need to be aware of them,” he added.

    The BJP leader said those supporting the Taliban need to learn from the past “We should not forget how Buddha’s statues were destroyed in Bamiyan (in Afghanistan) by the Taliban. Breaking the statues of Buddha means trying to put an end to peace. Twenty years ago, when this incident took place, we thought that one day, they (Taliban) will face ‘durgati’ (misfortune). A few days later, the US dropped bombs on them. Back then, I had said they reaped what they sowed,” he said.

    Without naming any political party, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, “The opposition does not have any issue to raise…Rashtranayak (national hero) Sardar Patel is on one side and Jinnah, who divided the country, is on the other. They support Jinnah and insult Patel. But we support Patel. He is a rashtranayak while Jinnah will remain a villain for centuries. Will you support those supporting Jinnah?”

    Referring to history books, he said, “History never termed emperor Ashoka or Chandragupta Maurya great, but it termed Alexander, who was defeated by Chandragupta Maurya, great. Historians are silent on such issues. However, once the countrymen learn the truth, India will change.”

    Showering praises on Narendra Modi, Adityanath said the prime minister is making the country resurgent and the philosophy of “Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat” entails this.

    Addressing a public meeting in Hardoi, the SP chief had said, “Sardar Patel, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Jinnah studied in the same institute and became barristers. They helped the country achieve independence and never backed away from any struggle.”

  • ‘Feku’ government has become ‘bechu’ one: Akhilesh Yadav

    By PTI

    GORAKHPUR: Following the recent sale of national carrier Air India and amid talks of disinvestments from various public sector units, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday sought to dub the Narendra Modi government in the centre as “bechu” (seller) one.

    Yadav sought to attach the new tag to the government amid the opposition’s earlier one “pheku” (bragger) losing its shine, seeking to take on the BJP in UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s stronghold Gorakhpur.

    “This government is now selling everything. It was all okay when it was a ‘pheku’ (bragging) government, but there is a ‘bechu’ government now, selling all the PSUs,” Yadav said, addressing party workers here participating in its ‘Vijay Rath Yatra’ launched as the SP’s poll campaign.

    The former chief minister also claimed that various oil companies of the country have made a whopping profit of 600 per cent in the sale of fuels and asked the BJP to account for it.

    Yadav also accused the government of “picking up pockets of the poor” and “filling the coffers of the rich”.

    Once the Samajwadi Party forms the government in Uttar Pradesh after the upcoming elections, it will end all excesses of the present government and take equal care of all sections of society, Yadav asserted.

    “This is an election to save democracy and the Constitution,” he said, exhorting people to vote for the Samajwadi Party.

    Targeting Chief Minister Adityanath, Yadav said, “Baba chief minister is not giving laptops to youths because he himself does not know how to operate them.”

    “People of Azamgarh know who has done developmental works,” Yadav said in response to a question on development and asserted that the people of Gorakhpur will bring down the arrogance of the BJP.

    The SP Rath Yatra passed through the Kushinagar district as well.

    Referring to the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, Yadav said, “The BJP government has insulted the farmers in the state and have crushed them under tyres of a vehicle.”

    ““The three black farm laws have been imposed on farmers and they are protesting against it but the BJP government is not listening to it,” Yadav said.

  • At rally with Shah, UP CM Yogi Adityanath drops hint to rename Azamgarh as ‘Aryamgarh’

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: In a major hint dropped over changing the name of Azamgarh, UP CM Yogi Adityanath claimed that the state university, the foundation of which was laid in the town, would lead it to become ‘Aryamgarh’ and that there should be no doubt about it.

    The CM was addressing a public rally in Azamgarh along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday.

    “The university, whose foundation stone has been laid today, will make Azamgarh truly Aryamgarh, there should be no doubt about it now,” Yogi Adityanath said in a tweet while laying the foundation stone of the university.

    Ever since the Yogi government came to power, it embarked upon a name-changing spree, with Allahabad becoming Prayagraj, Mughalsarai changing to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar and Faizabad becoming Ayodhya.

    ALSO READ: On visit to UP, Amit Shah coins acronym ‘JAM’ to take dig at Akhilesh over Jinnah statement

    The CM said that the new state university, which would be named after Maharaja Suheldev, would end the identity crisis of Azamgarh. “Prior to 2014, it was difficult for the people of Azamgarh to get accommodation outside UP. The main reason for this was being from Azamgarh. But it is not so now. Azamgarh is no more infamous as the hub of terrorism,” said the CM.

    He said that the Purvanchal Expressway, which will be inaugurated on November 16 by PM Modi, would prove to be the backbone of Azamgarh’s development and growth. “A new airport is also coming up in the district and 95 per cent work on it is over. It will become operational soon,” said CM Yogi.

    He claimed that while previous governments promoted appeasement, casteism, and nepotism, the BJP government worked for all irrespective of caste and faith for the benefit of the common man.

    However, reacting to Yogi’s statement, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said that both Shah and CM Yogi had gone to see the development of Azamgarh.

    “The CM only knows how to change the name and colour. However, this time people will vote so much that their government will change,” added Akhilesh Yadav.

  • BJP stands for Jandhan, Samajwadi Party for Jinnah: Amit Shah attacks Akhilesh Yadav in Azamgarh

    By PTI

    AZAMGARH: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday targeted the Samajwadi Party, alleging it stands for “Jinnah, Azam Khan and Mukhtar (Ansari)”, and asserted that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has rid the Purvanchal region of “mosquitoes and mafias”.

    “BJP gave the people ‘JAM’ – Jandhan, Aadhar and Mobile- but the SP people say they have also brought ‘JAM’ – Jinnah, Azam Khan and Mukhtar (don-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari),” Shah said addressing a rally in Azamgarh, an SP bastion represented by party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lok Sabha.

    “You should tell me whether you want BJP’s JAM or SP’s JAM. These people can never work for the welfare of Uttar Pradesh. They indulge in dividing people on the basis of caste, causing riots, appeasement and vote-bank politics,” Shah said.

    As the election season is approaching, Akhilesh Yadav is seeing greatness in Mohammad Ali Jinnah, he said referring to the Pakistan founder.

    “There are so many people from the minority community here, is there anyone here who sees greatness in Jinnah,” Shah said.

    Akhilesh Yadav has drawn flak for his statement in which he equated Muhammad Ali Jinnah with Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, saying they helped India get freedom.

    Shah said Chief Minister Adityanath has ensured the migration of mafias from Azamgarh and other parts of Uttar Pradesh.

    Yogi Adityanath has “‘freed Purvanchal (eastern UP) of mosquitoes and mafias”, he said.

    ”You (Akhilesh Yadav) never cleaned this area. Mosquitoes were ruling and children were dying of brain fever. But Prime Minister Modi’s Swachhta campaign was implemented here by Adityanath and the region became mosquito-free,” he said.

    Shah was addressing the rally in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh after laying the foundation of a new state university here.

  • On visit to UP, Amit Shah coins acronym ‘JAM’ to take dig at Akhilesh over Jinnah statement

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Taking a dig at the opposition, especially the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, Union Home Minister Amit Shah coined an acronym ‘JAM’ to prove a point that while PM Modi used it to eradicate corruption in the country through Jan Dhan account, Aadhaar card and mobile phones, the previous Akhilesh government redefined it by showing his liking for Jinnah, Azam Khan and Mukhtar.

    The Home Minister, who was on a two-day visit to Purvanchal in Uttar Pradesh, put forth his thoughts during two back-to-back public rallies in Azamgarh and Basti. 

    In Azamgarh, Shah laid the foundation stone of a state university named after popular Rajbhar king Suheldev, while in Basti, he inaugurated the Sansad Khel Mahakumbh.

    “We brought in JAM — J for Jan-Dhan account, A for Aadhaar card, M for mobile phones, Samajwadi Party also claimed to have brought a JAM. It stands for Jinnah, Azam Khan and Mukhtar (Ansari),” Shah said while addressing a rally in Azamgarh.

    Shah’s remark comes close on the heels of the SP chief’s controversial statement on Mohammad Ali Jinnah where he had compared the Muslim League leader with Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel saying his contribution tothe country’s freedom struggle was equally great.

    Shah accused Akhilesh of appeasement in a veiled attack saying that as the UP assembly polls were inching closer, Akhilesh Yadav’s liking for Jinnah was also surfacing and he was glorifying the leader who played a key role in the nation’s partition.

    Shah also took a swipe at the previous regimes saying during their governments, Azamgarh became infamous as a safe haven for terrorists. “Azamgarh, which was portrayed as the nursery for terrorism during previous governments, will soon become a temple of Goddess Saraswati and a seat of education for the youth of eastern UP,” said Shah.

    The Home Minister invoked Maharaja Suheldev during his speech as the one who fought against the invaders to make the land free.

    Moreover, the state government decided to name the university, the foundation stone of which was laid by the Home Minister on Saturday, after Maharaja Suheldev in political symbolism to woo the Rajbhar community which makes around 12 per cent of the electorate in the eastern region. The community has a sway in over 60 seats of eastern UP.

    It may be recalled that the Suheldev Bharat Samaj Party (SBSP), led by OP Rajbhar, had contested the previous assembly election in alliance with the BJP and had bagged four seats for the first time. However, this time Rajbhar has tied up with the Samajwadi Party (SP).

    At the same time, Shah also patted the back of UP CM Yogi Adityanath for proper implementation of central schemes, apt COVID management and leading the state on the path of development during his speeches at both Azamgarh and Basti.

    He listed out the parameters of development including the state’s GDP which he claimed had gone up from Rs 10 lakh 90,000 crore to over Rs 21 lakh crore. “Similarly, during the last five years, the unemployment rate has come down from 17.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent,” claimed Shah.

    Both in Azamgarh and Basti, Shah appreciated the Yogi government over the law and order situation saying CM Yogi had rid the state of ‘mosquito and mafia’. “While JE, which used to devour many lives in the past, is no more a menace, the mafia have been forced to take refuge outside UP under the Yogi government,” he added. In Basti, Shah was all praise for CM Yogi for making the state riot-free during the last five years of his governance.

    The Home Minister then gave a religious colour to his discourse saying, “SP, BSP and Congress used to mock us over the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. They can now see that a Ram temple is taking shape in Ayodhya in all its grandeur.”

    Shah also mentioned that it was due to the grit and determination of PM Modi that Article 370, the removal of which had been promised and part of the BJP manifesto since the times of the Jan Sangh, was abolished making Kashmir an integral part of the country in the true sense.

    Earlier, the Union home minister participated in the Akhil Rajbhasha Sammelan in Varanasi where he urged the people of the country to use Hindi more and more in their conversation to make it more popular as it was the pride of the country.

    “I like Hindi more than Gujarati. It is such a beautiful language. We all should take pride in using it as the national language in our daily conversation. We should never feel ashamed of the language which is a part of our rich cultural heritage,” said Shah.

  • Uttar Pradesh to help government’s commitment to fulfilling needs of defence industry: Rajnath Singh

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The government is committed to fulfilling the needs of the defence industry, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday, exuding confidence that a strong defence manufacturing ecosystem will be developed in Uttar Pradesh.

    Singh also praised the cooperation of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the growth of the defence manufacturing ecosystem in the state and said this system will help in the realisation of the dream of India becoming self-reliant.

    Speaking at a meeting in the state capital for the promotion of investment in the UP Defence Industrial Corridor, Singh said, “The government is committed to meet the requirements of the defence industry. I have full confidence that a strong defence manufacturing ecosystem will be developed in Uttar Pradesh and realise the dream of a self-reliant India.”

    Singh, who arrived in his Parliamentary constituency on Friday morning, said that with the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence corridors have been established in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

    He said that their aim is to develop an eco-system for industries that can fulfil all their small and big needs easily from one place and in an economical way. Referring to the demands of some speakers earlier, Singh said that a centrally sponsored scheme with the provision to incentivise the defence industry in investing in defence corridors will soon be brought.

    Stressing that the industrial heritage of Uttar Pradesh is very old, Singh said there are many districts here which are famous for their products the world over. “In coming times, the state is fully prepared to leave its mark in the defence and aerospace sectors across the world. I am sure we will be able to develop the defence and aerospace sectors in UP,” he said.

    He said the government and he himself fully understand the needs and risks of the industry very well. “If anyone has the ability to make the country self-reliant at the earliest, it is our private industry,” he said.

    The defence minister said that our government is fully committed to meeting the needs of the defence industry and both these industrial corridors are the result of this. “If we understand your strengths, then we understand your needs equally well,” he added.

    Singh said for the first time, the private industry has been given a share in the domestic manufacturing budget. “How much interest we are taking can be seen from the fact that we have given 350 licenses in seven years from 2014 to 2021 as compared to about 200 licenses from 2000 to 2014. In the design and development project also, we are bringing policy provision to encourage the private sector,” he said.

    Defense Minister Singh said earlier people were wary of doing business in UP and Bihar but now such an environment has been created in UP that it is attracting a large amount of business. “Had it been the UP of earlier days, you would not have this glow on your faces,” he said.

    While praising the work of the Yogi government, he said law and order should be good for any investment. The UP government is making efforts for industrial development and the central government is also not lagging behind, Singh said.

    Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath earlier gave detailed information about the works related to the UP Defence Industrial Corridor.

  • UP would have faced no problem had Yogi not migrated here from Uttarakhand: Akhilesh

    Adityanath was born as Ajay Mohan Bisht in Panchur village of Pauri Garhwal in June 1972 before the formation of Uttarakhand out of Uttar Pradesh.

  • UP includes ‘married daughters’ in list of dependents for government jobs

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: In a significant cabinet decision taken to benefit married women, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to place the married daughters of government officials in the category of dependents and made them eligible for a job on compassionate grounds if the government official dies during the service period.

    The state cabinet headed by CM Yogi Adityanath put its seal on the proposal. The move could give a new colour to women empowerment in poll-bound UP.

    The state cabinet cleared the proposal to this effect through a cabinet by-circulation late on Wednesday night. Until now, only the wife, a married/unmarried son and unmarried daughter were eligible to be considered as dependents of a deceased government official. The cabinet broadened the definition of “dependent daughters” to include the married ones also, officials said.

    A senior official, however, clarified that the married daughter will be considered for the job only after the deceased’s wife, married/unmarried son and unmarried daughter.

    “She may also get the job if the other family members refuse to take up a government job,” the official said.

    The proposal was moved as the 12th amendment in the deceased government servants’ rule 2021. 

    Earlier this year, the Allahabad High Court had maintained that excluding married daughters from the definition of “family” in the rules for appointment on compassionate grounds was “unconstitutional” and in violation of Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution. 

    While hearing a petition in January, the High Court held that a married daughter was “no less eligible” for government jobs on compassionate grounds than her married brother or unmarried sister.

    In another important decision, the cabinet gave its nod to a proposal of rehabilitating 63 Hindu Bengali families who were displaced after the formation of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971. The families will be settled in village Bhaisaya in Kanpur (rural) over 121.41 hectares of land. Each family will begiven 2 acres of land for agricultural purposes and 200 sq mt (over 2100 sq ft) of land for housing on a lease rent of Re 1 for a period of 30 years, renewable up to 90 years. They will also be provided a grant of Rs 1.20 lakh for the construction of a house.

    These families were earlier settled in Hastinapur in Meerut by providing them jobs in Madan Yarn Mill. The Mill got shut in 1984. Since then, the families had been seeking rehabilitation. 

    In 1971, the centre rehabilitated 332 displaced Hindu families during the formation of East Pakistan in Orissa (now Odisha) and in Badaun district of UP.

  • CM Adityanath visits Zika-hit Kanpur, reviews situation

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW:  With Zika infection tally breaching the 100-mark, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday visited the worst-hit Kanpur and spoke to family members of the patients besides reviewing the containment efforts.

    As many as 106 people have been diagnosed with the viral infection in the state so far with first case coming to light at Chakeri Air Force Station in Kanpur on October 23. The CM assured the people of Kanpur of taking all the measures to stop the spread of the virus. He said that of the 106 positive cases detected so far, 17 patients have already recovered. Five municipal wards of the city are in the grip of the virus, said Yogi.

    He urged Kanpur residents not to panic as the district administration, health department and municipal authorities have been strategically working to increase surveillance, sanitisation and investigation in the affected areas.

    “Our team is identifying symptomatic people and providing them with medicine kits,” he said, adding that the remaining patients would recover soon. A senior health official in Kanpur said around 100 teams are deployed in the city for source-reduction, 100 teams for home-sampling and additional 15 rapid response teams (RRT) to check the virus’ spread. “The source-detection teams visited 3,777 houses on Tuesday taking the cumulative tally to 40,238,” he said. The official further said relatives of the patients were under the surveillance.