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Prime Minister says Yogi government now plays jail-jail with criminals in Uttar Pradesh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University at function in Meerut
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hit out at previous governments in Uttar Pradesh, saying that gangsters and criminals used to play their own games in the state earlier but the Yogi Adityanath government now plays “jail-jail” with them.
The Prime Minister was addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for the Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut.
“During previous governments, criminals used to play their games and the mafias used to play their own. Earlier, there used to be tournaments of illegal land grabbing. People making obscene remarks at daughters used to roam freely,” he said.
The Prime Minister also said people living in Meerut and adjoining areas can never forget how houses used to be set ablaze here.
“The result of these games played by earlier governments was that people were forced to leave their ancestral homes and there was an exodus,” the Prime Minister said.
“Now, the Yogi government is playing ‘jail-jail’ with such criminals. Five years ago, the daughters of Meerut used to fear leaving their homes after evening. Today, the daughters of Meerut are bringing laurels to the entire country,” Modi said.
Modi also referred to the infamous Sotiganj market of Meerut, which specialised in dismantling stolen cars and selling its parts.
“There has been ‘the end’ to the game played with vehicles in the market. Real sports are getting encouragement in UP. The youths of UP are getting an opportunity to make their presence felt in the sports world,” he said.
He also accused the previous governments of not making efforts to change the ‘narrow’ mindset towards sports. Modi said the sports world was marred by maladies like games of nepotism, casteism, corruption and discrimination earlier at every level, right from the training to team selection but now the situation had changed.
The impact of the change was seen when the country’s athletes won many medals in Olympic and Paralympics, he said.
Continuing his attack on previous governments, he said the sugar mills were sold at throwaway prices in UP earlier.
“But during the Yogi government, new mills are being opened instead of plants being shut down. Those who were earlier in power used to literally make you hanker to get payments for sugarcane price,” he said.
He also said the payment made to farmers during the Yogi government’s term was more than what was paid by the two earlier governments.
The PM also mentioned that on Saturday lakhs of farmers from UP had got the money transferred to their bank accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and that it will benefit small farmers of this region.
Laying the foundation stone of the state’s first Major Dhyanchand Sports University at Salawa in Meerut district, he anticipated that world class facilities in the university would help in creating international athletes and sports culture in the country.
Stating that Meerut was the “karmsthali” of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, he said the Central government named the country’s biggest sports award “Khel Ratna” after Dadda (Dhyan Chand) and now first university of UP will be dedicated to him.
He said the university would be set up using a budget of ₹700 crore and it would produce more than 1000 players.
The PM said over 1,000 boys and girls will pass out as excellent sportspersons from this upcoming sports university in Meerut.
“In other words, the city of revolutionaries will further strengthen its identity as the city of sportspersons,” he said, in an apparent reference to the 1857 revolt against the East India Company beginning in Meerut with its leader sepoy Mangal Pandey attaining an iconic status among the country’s freedom fighters.
Modi said youths have the biggest responsibility of making a new India of the 21st century.
“The nation would walk on the path on which the youths walk,” he said. The Prime Minister also said his government has connected sports with youths’ fitness and career. It has also introduced many policies with greater transparency, he said.
Prime Minister Modi mentioned the sports goods manufacturing industry of Meerut. Meerut units are already exporting sports goods to over 100 countries, he said. This way, Meerut was “making local to global,” he added.
He further said sports has been given equal weightage with other subjects in the new National Education Policy.
Modi also remembered former Prime Minister and farmer leader the late Chaudhary Charan Singh. He mentioned how the Yogi government helped youths by distributing tablets and smartphones and providing them with record employment.
Modi also interacted with national, international players and Olympians before addressing the gathering.
He inspected stalls of sports goods which were manufactured in local units.
Earlier, Modi arrived by road because of poor visibility for flying. He offered puja at historic Augharnath temple in Meerut cantt which played a vital role in the First War of Independence in May 1857 against British Raj. He, along with governor Anandiben Patel, chief minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, then visited Shaheed Smark and paid tribute to the martyrs of 1857. He also inspected an exhibition of paintings depicting the events of 1857 before heading to the venue of the main function at Salawa village.
On his arrival, PM received a warm welcome from the people in Meerut and a huge crowd, chanting ‘Modi- Modi’, was seen along the side of the road.
Accepting the greetings of the locals, he also waved back to the crowd while sitting inside his car.
