Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that the end of mafia culture in the state has resulted in large-scale investment flow into its Purvanchal region, adding that the projects being set up in the region will facilitate jobs for a large number of youths from the region.

Addressing a public meeting at Mohammadabad in favour of party candidate Neeraj Shekhar from Ballia Lok Sabha seat, the Chief Minister took a dig at the Samajwadi Party, pointing out that while the party vowed to kill the poor, he has resolved to eliminate the mafia from Uttar Pradesh and has succeeded also in this pursuit.

He added: “After Ayodhya and Kashi, we are preparing to head towards Mathura.” While paying heartfelt tribute to the revolutionaries, he emphasized the numerous aspirations of the late Krishna Anand Rai for Mohammadabad region.

“Rai was deeply concerned about the area’s development and consistently worked towards achieving this goal. Yet, whenever leaders like Krishna Anand Rai endeavoured to foster development, they fell victim to mafia violence. Rather than expressing condolence on Krishna Anand Rai’s tragic demise, these people protected murderers. And now, they are lamenting the death of the mafia,” he remarked.

The Chief Minister stated: “Along with Krishna Anand Rai, Shyam Shankar Rai, Ramesh Rai, Ramesh Patel, Munna Yadav, and others were brutally murdered. At that time, the state was under the SP government and the central government was led by the Congress. Whenever these two parties come together, chaos follows. We cannot afford to let such chaos happen again.”

Yogi said that the SP and Congress should be reminded whether Munna Yadav and Ramesh Patel, who were killed by mafias like Mukhtar, were not from backward castes. “Was Pooja Pal’s husband Raju Pal and Jaya Pal’s husband Umesh Pal in Prayagraj not from backward castes? Their resolve was to kill the poor’s sons, and ours is to eradicate the mafias,” he quipped.

Yogi Adityanath said that people should be proud of living in an environment that was envisioned by the first freedom fighters of the country, Mangal Pandey and Chittu Pandey. “PM Modi is making efforts to realise the dreams of Krishna Anand Rai, who was concerned about the development of Mohammadabad. PM Modi is also fulfilling the aspirations of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar regarding the region,” he remarked.

“Today, wherever we go in the country, we encounter the same sentiment and determination. People are saying, ‘Fir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar, Abki Baar, 400 Paar’. It’s a cause of concern for the SP, which is contesting only 60-62 seats. Furthermore, they have given tickets to Yadavs from a single family”, he added.“

The Chief Minister said that he brought Nirahua from Mumbai and entrusted him with the responsibility of Azamgarh. Since Nirahua became an MP, Azamgarh has witnessed the establishment of an airport, a university, the Purvanchal Expressway, a medical college, a nursing college, and a music college, Yogi asserted, pointing out that wWhen competent individuals are elected, development naturally follows.

Hitting out at the opposition, Yogi stated that the Congress, in its manifesto, declares that if they come to power, they will implement personal law. “This means daughters would be deprived of education, women wouldn’t be able to go out, and they would have to remain confined to their homes in burqas. However, we will not allow India to be governed by Sharia law or permit a Taliban-like regime to take over,” he remarked.

Yogi remarked that the Congress promises to impose an inheritance tax if they come to power, proposing a survey of our ancestors’ properties and allocating half to infiltrators from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. He likened this to Aurangzeb’s ‘Jizya’ tax.

“Today, even a civilized Muslim would not name their son Aurangzeb because he imprisoned his father, denied him water, and killed his brother. Aurangzeb imposed the Jizya tax, demanding conversion to Islam or payment of the tax. We will not allow a return of Aurangzeb’s practices,” Yogi asserted.

He concluded, “Today, India’s respect has grown on the global stage, and our borders are secure. Terrorism and Naxalism have been eradicated. If even a firecracker goes off loudly, Pakistan feels compelled to offer an explanation. They understand that the new India does not provoke, but it does not hesitate to retaliate. During the SP regime, the ration meant for the poor was consumed by the mafia. Now, 80 crore people receive free rations. PM Modi has lifted more people out of poverty than the entire population of Pakistan.”