Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections would decide the fate of the nation for the coming years.
These elections should not be considered merely for voting MLAs, ministers or chief ministers to office, Shah said in Mathura.
He said that if voters in UP give another term to the BJP, the state’s economy will become number one in the country.
Shah was in Mathura and Vrindavan on Thursday. He began his visit by offering prayers at the Bankey Behari temple in Vrindavan. Markets around the temple were closed for security reasons. Later in the day, he campaigned door to door.
After offering prayers, Shah moved through the lanes adjoining the temple and was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh energy minister Shrikant Sharma, the BJP’s sitting Mathura MLA who is seeking re-election from the same seat.
Seeking votes for the party, Shah highlighted the importance of Mathura, the land of Krishna.
“This is land which made the young Kanha the Lord Krishna and thus Mathura is a centre of cultural importance for the nation. It is also the land where Krishna established dharma by destroying Kansa, the symbol of evil,” the home minister said.
“Voters should understand that this 2022 UP assembly election is not merely an election to elect MLAs, ministers or chief ministers but it would decide the fate of the nation in the coming years. Voters in UP have to decide if they want to vote for an individual and a party or they would vote for the state and the nation,” Amit Shah said.
{{/usCountry}}“Voters should understand that this 2022 UP assembly election is not merely an election to elect MLAs, ministers or chief ministers but it would decide the fate of the nation in the coming years. Voters in UP have to decide if they want to vote for an individual and a party or they would vote for the state and the nation,” Amit Shah said.
{{/usCountry}}Amit Shah targeted the previous governments of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar Pradesh. He blamed them for promoting the politics of caste and dynasty.
“The BJP regime led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and the Yogi Adityanath-led government in the state cared for all. The opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, cannot even dare to question the BJP government on the issue of corruption,” Amit Shah said.
“Those who were feared under the SP rule are surrendering in the Yogi regime in UP. Voters should thus cross-check before choosing the party as there would be development if the BJP comes and there will be failed law and order and corruption if the SP comes. Akhilesh and Mayawati should reply as to why they could not ensure the development of UP in their tenure for two decades when the BJP could do it in its five-year term,” questioned Amit Shah who mentioned various welfare schemes of the BJP governments in the state and at the Centre.
“(Samajwadi Party president) Akhilesh Yadav used to doubt our commitment to the temple in Ayodhya but now bhoomi pujan has been done and he can visit the upcoming Ram Mandir which is possible because Narendra Modi was voted for the second term. The BJP scrapped Article 370 from Kashmir and conducted a surgical strike in the interest of the nation,” the home minister said.
Mathura, being the seat of the Sri Krishna Janambhoomi, has its importance in this election. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has visited Mathura 19 times in his five-year term and declared Mathura and other places around it as “teerth” (pilgrimage centre), a fact also stated by Amit Shah on Thursday. Mathura goes to polls in the first phase on February 10.
Mathura is one of the three religious cities of Uttar Pradesh that have figured on the agenda of right-wing groups. Ayodhya and Kashi (Varanasi) are the other two cities.
In response to the home minister’s remarks, Congress state vice-president Upendra Singh blamed Amit Shah for misleading the masses by concealing the failure of the BJP at the Centre and in the state.
“Why are BJP leaders not speaking about unemployment and inflation?” he asked.