UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with Governor Ram Naik at an event in Lucknow on Monday. (Photo: Vishal Srivastav)
Completing A year in office, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday compared himself with Hanuman and said that just like one “monkey” had set Lanka on fire, “this monkey” would burn the “Lanka of corruption, misconduct and gunda raj”.
His remarks were an apparent retort to Samajwadi Party MLC Anand Bhadauri’s recent comment on social media — “Jangal walon ne sher ki jagah bandar ko chuna (Forest dwellers have chosen a monkey instead of a tiger).”
The Chief Minister on Monday made fresh promises, among which are providing four lakh new government jobs in the next one year, pink buses for women and measures to improve conditions of potato farmers.
At the event presided over by Governor Ram Naik, Adityanath also launched an “anti-corruption portal”. He maintained that one year is not enough to bring about change, considering the condition in which the state had been left by the previous SP government — rife with “gunda raj”, “khali khajana (empty state exchequer)”, farmer suicides and “roj bade bade dange (daily riots)”.
He said his regime had at least managed to restore the faith of people in the government.
The Chief Minister said, “Kuch logon ko bandar se bahut dar lagta hai.. ek bandar ne Ravan ki Lanka ko jalaya tha. Aur aj main yeh keh sakta hun.. ki yeh ek bandar aj bhrashtachar, durachar aur gunda rajya ki is Lanka ko jalane ka kaam awashya karega.”
Adityanath said that at least 10 pink buses that are to be launched will have all-women staff. He said these buses will have CCTV cameras and “panic buttons” for emergencies.
The four lakh promised jobs will include the posts of sub-inspector, constable, primary and secondary teacher, engineer as well as lekhpal.
On beautification of roads leading to borders with adjoining states and Nepal, Adityanath said the government will build a “bhavya dwar” (huge gate) at the state’s entry point.
Targeting the previous SP government, Adityanath said when he had taken over as Chief Minister, UP was infamous because of dynastic politics and division on the lines of caste and faith. When he took oath, he said the state exchequer was empty, corruption was at its peak, progress was at a standstill and power supply was provided as per VIP culture. Providing salaries to government employees was a challenge and roads were full of potholes, he said.
Alleging that there was an exodus of businessmen, he said that there was “bhay aur dehshat ka raj (fear and terror ruled)”.
At Lok Bhavan, Adityanath and Naik released a booklet titled ‘Ek saal – Nayi misal’, listing “achievements” of the government over the past year. They also released a documentary made by filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia.