Samajwadi Party govt's scheme was One Dist One Mafia; we gave One District One Product: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

LUCKNOW: Calling 'samajwad' (socialism) a 'pakhand' (hypocrisy), chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in the Uttar Pradesh assembly on Wednesday that the scheme that the Samajwadi Party (SP) government was running was One District One Mafia.
"We have come up with One District One Product (ODOP) which has given a new lease of life to MSMEs and turned Uttar Pradesh into an export hub," he said.
Launching a fresh salvo against SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and his party while speaking on the floor of the house during a discussion on state budget, Yogi said that 'samajwad' is a "behroopiya brand" (chameleon) which takes different forms. "There is democratic socialism, progressive socialism, democratic socialism and even family socialism," he said, adding "it only makes leaders professing it "more powerful" while pushing common people into a trough of poverty and hardships."
"Samajwad (Socialism) has never brought prosperity in any part of the world. India and Uttar Pradesh are moving forward not due to socialism, but with the spirit of Ram Rajya. Uttar Pradesh is the land of Ram Rajya and only can bring prosperity in the life of people," he said.
"It was only 'Ram Rajya' which was the actual `virasat' (legacy) of the people and envisioned their welfare. Aap apni virasat ko kitna bhi kosein hum samman karenge...(we will honour our legacy no matter how much you tarnish it)," Yogi said, referring to the recent controversy over SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya's comment on Ramcharitmanas.
Adityanath also slammed Akhilesh for questioning the state government's flagship One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme. He said that while the BJP government tried to boost local industry through the ODOP scheme, the SP, during its rule came up with its own scheme: "One District One Mafia". Prior to 2017, in each district of UP, there was a 'mafia'. Each and every common man in UP is aware that there was once organised crime, mining mafia, and forest mafia".
Yogi also admonished Akhilesh for questioning on how the state would become a USD 1 Trillion economy. "Aapne jahan chhoda tha wahan se kahi aage ja chuke hain...," the CM said, adding that UP was blessed with abundant natural resources and manpower to take the state forward.
Yogi attacked the SP chief for "feeling happy" while making claims of UP lagging behind on various socio-economic parameters. He questioned the opposition as to why and how the state started lagging behind on various fronts during the previous governments.
"Every problem has two solutions....'bhaag lo' (take part and confront the problem) or 'bhaag lo' (run away). And the leader of opposition has opted for the second," he said, while pointing towards the empty chair of Akhilesh who was absent from the assembly. The CM statement was seen as an attempt to draw the contrast since he was present in the house on Tuesday when Akhilesh spoke on the budget.
The CM asserted that the investments which poured in the state "symbolized the credibility" of the state government. Yogi's fresh counter came days after Akhilesh questioned BJP's political credibility despite it maintaining a winning streak in elections after elections. "Why did the investment never come to UP before 2017," he questioned.
Making an oblique reference to the former SP MLA Azam Khan, Yogi said that "chacha-jaan" tried to go to Harvard University for a presentation on Kumbh in 2013 but couldn't make it as he got screened at the US airport. "What was the image of the state then?" he said.
Yogi squarely flayed the previous SP government for faltering on financial responsibility that resulted in the downfall of various government institutions and bodies. "Who gained from the public money during the previous government," he asked. "Aise hi koi England mein hotel aur Australia mein taapu nahi khareed raha hai ( one doesn’t buy a hotel in England and an island in Australia from nothing)...," Yogi said, without taking anyone's name.
He also said that opposition leaders cannot shy away from the fact that they "patronized" criminals who killed people from the backward caste. "Kya Umesh Pal ki koi jaati nahi thi? Kya constable Sandeep Nishad, ...aap theka le chuke hain jaati ka, par kya kisi kamzor ko... kisi ati pichdi jaati ke logon ko aise peshewar apradhi ki snrakshan deke marwayenge...," he said, amid loud cheers from the treasury benches.
Yogi offensive attained pertinence against the backdrop of the opposition concerted attempts to set off a spiraling caste narrative while demanding a caste census. "Raju Pal ko koi jaati nahi thi kya?," he said, questioning who was patronizing the criminals who killed Pal. "Hum vikas ki baat karte hain to aap jaati le aate hain...hum gareeb kalyan ki baat karte hain to aap jaati ke mudde ko late hain," he went on. Yogi said that the opposition has been trying to divert people's attention from development by raking up caste issues.