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Region known for curfews earlier now hailed for Kanwar Yatras: Yogi Adityanath in Muzaffarnagar
Highlighting the importance of a single vote, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath says it can change the fate of the country.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that Muzaffarnagar endured months of curfew when governance fell into the wrong hands in the past, but when voters gave power to the right people, the region became known for its Kanwar Yatras.
Addressing the Prabuddh Sammellan (conference of intellectuals) in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts on the second day of his electoral campaign in western U.P, he also reminded people about the Hindu exodus from Kairana town in Shamli district and lawlessness in the region prior to 2017, when other parties were in power in the state.
Emphasizing an inseparable link between development and security, he warned potential wrongdoers, stressing that those who compromise the safety of citizens – whether women, businessmen, or farmers – will face serious repercussions.
Highlighting the importance of a single vote, Yogi Adityanath said it can change the fate of the country.
“You will see how much your one vote is worth. How can one vote change the destiny of the country. Whenever one of your votes went into the wrong hands, a curfew was imposed in Muzaffarnagar for months. When your one vote goes to the correct place, Muzaffarnagar is today not known for curfews, but for the Kanwar Yatra,” he said.
Appealing to people to vote for the BJP’s Muzaffarnagar candidate and Union minister Sanjeev Balyan and Kairana nominee Pradeep Choudhary in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election on April 19, Adityanath also mentioned the Ram temple, Bharat Ratna to former Prime Minister the late Chaudhary Charan Singh and said his government was committed to revitalizing Shuktirtha by establishing a dedicated Shuktirtha Development Council for reviving the glory of this “Sanatan teerth” (Hindu pilgrimage centre) that aligns closely with the sentiments of the populace.
Shuktirtha in Muzaffarnagar district is associated with the Mahabharat period.
“Previously, votes cast in favour of the wrong people plunged Western UP into anarchy and lawlessness, where everyone felt insecure. But, when you elected the right parties and people, lawlessness and chaos ended and faith was respected,” Yogi Adityanath further said.
Referring to Holi being played in the newly-constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya, Adityanath said, “I used to listen to a Holi song for years -- ‘Holi Khele Raghuveera Awadh Ma’ -- but every year, we felt sad that Lord Ram is invoked to play Holi but the lord is not present in his birthplace in Ayodhya. After 500 years, your one vote has given respect to your faith.”
Asking the gathering whether the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress would have been able to build the Ram temple, he said, “Today, Lord Ram is seated in Ram Janmabhoomi. Could previous governments have done this work? They gave curfews, they gave anarchy, they played with faith, they breached the security of daughters and businessmen.... Today, we are moving forward in a new environment.”
While the INDI alliance prioritises family interests, the NDA , under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, places the nation above all else, the chief minister said.
Adityanah also said former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh should have been honoured with Bharat Ratna much earlier but claimed that it was not on the agenda of the previous governments.
“What was the INDI alliance doing? They were in power from 2004 to 2014. They should have given the honour to Chaudhary sahab, but this was done by Modiji,” he said.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the nation is witnessing the dawn of a new era,” he added.
In Saharanpur, Yogi Adityanath sought votes for BJP candidate Raghav Lakhanpal, who had won the seat in 2014 but lost it in 2019.