UP election a fight between forces for and against India, says Yogi

Addressing BJP booth chiefs in Janupur district, he claimed that every Indian was disrespected by the comparison drawn by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav between Vallabhbhai Patel with Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

“It is natural that the 2022 elections in UP have become a centre of attraction in the country and the world… All the anti-BJP and anti-India people are uniting. And on the other hand, under the guidance and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, every worker works to protect self-respect and pride of India. The whole fight has been divided into two parts — anti-nationals and pro-India,” said the CM.

Referring to Opposition parties, Adityanath said “these people” would drop cases against terrorists, and book BJP workers and Hindu organisations.

The chief minister urged BJP workers to follow Modi’s “win the booth, win the election” mantra.

Keeping heat on Akhilesh for his Jinnah remarks, Adityanath said, “You must have read some statements in the recent past… On the birth anniversary of the Iron man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, people were praising him on one side, and on the other, he was compared with Jinnah, who was responsible for breaking India apart. This was disrespect shown to every Indian. We must not forget that these are the same people who attacked our faith when they were in power before 2017. These are the same elements who spread corruption and stopped development.”

Defence Minister Rajanth Singh, who also attended the event, wondered what “these people” wanted to achieve by dividing the state and country.

“To mislead people of the state, unnecessary issues are being created. What was the need to bring Jinnah in this election? Where is he? He was taken out of a bottle. Jinnah can be the father of Pakistan, but not India’s. What do they want to achieve by dividing the state and country?” asked Singh.

Referring to Congress leader Manish Tewari’s latest book 10 Flashpoints; 20 Years, the defence minister said, “The Congress government did not take effective action against terrorism after the 26/11 Mumbai attack. Not just me, even senior Congress leader Manish Tewari has said this in his new book.”

“Under the leadership of PM Modi, effective action is being taken against terrorism. I would like to remind you that after Uri and Pulwama (terrorist attacks), action taken by us has been discussed across the world: that India is a powerful country and if someone attacks us we can go across and take action,” he said.

Praising the Adityanath government, Singh said nobody could level corruption allegation against any of its ministers. He said India would give a befitting reply if anybody tried to provoke it.

“To ensure nobody goes hungry”, the Central government, Adityanath said, had extended the free ration scheme, PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, up to March, 2022.

Singh expressed confidence that “no power in the world” could stop the BJP from forming the next government in the state with a three-fourths majority.

“We will cross 300 (seats)… The people of UP are saying that they don’t want babua (Akhilesh) or bua (BSP chief Maywati). They only want baba (Adityanath),” said Singh.

He said Rs 4.75 lakh crore has been invested in the state as “goons and the mafia are scared”.

Replying to Samajwadi Party leaders’ claim that the Jewar airport project was started by the previous government, the minister said, “I would like to remind them that as CM of UP in 2001, I had given approval to build the Jewar airport. Now, it is being completed by Yogiji and Modiji,” he said.