Yogi Adityanath Presents his Government's Report Card at 'Rising UP'

Lucknow: Two months after taking reins of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath presented the first report card of his government at News18 Network’s flagship event ‘Rising UP’.

Adityanath defended the controversial decisions like anti-Romeo squads and shutting down illegal slaughterhouses, he listed ways in which his government had improved conditions of farmers and revealed that the state had formulated plans to teach regional languages in the state.

“Many doubts and many expectations were raised as soon as we were sworn into power. I think in two months we have been able to erase the doubts and raise the expectations. People in UP had almost forgotten what good governance, security and development felt like. We are trying to instil these things in the state,” said Adityanath.

He added that what his party had inherited from the previous Samajwadi Party-led government was a “messed up system where criminals and mafia where enjoying state patronage. Criminal first used to commit a crime and hide in an influential minister’s residence. We have now ensured that criminals are caught no matter where they go… that our traders’ interests are protected.”

While talking about safeguarding interests of traders, Adityanath seemed to refer to a recent episode when jewellers in the state went on strike after two traders were murdered by criminals in Mathura.

“If they behave ruthlessly with our traders, we will give it back to the criminals twice over,” Adiyanath said.

The chief minister of India’s largest state also talked about how his government had waived off farmer loans and ensured that dues to sugarcane farmers were paid in time. “It was a cause of deep concern that farmers in UP were committing suicide. It could have been due to bad policies or ill intentions of previous government, we have ensured that we not only give enough relief to the farmers but make them self-reliant in the coming years.”

Adityanath also claimed credit for ending “VIP culture” in the state. “Before our government came to power, there was a system by which amenities like power used to be provided to only areas and constituencies of influential ministers of the state. Other places used to suffer in darkness. We have ended this discrimination. And not just roads, we’ve decided to make roads pothole free in the entire state. Even Nepal had better roads than those in our state.”

Defending his government’s decisions to launch anti-Romeo squads and shut down illegal slaughterhouses he said, “We tried to counsel the people who used to harass our girls. But now we’re going to take the anti-Romeo squads to another level.”

He also said that his government was looking to start a language exchange program with other states.

“Why languages of other states can’t be taught here in Uttar Pradesh? We are signing a memorandum of understanding with the Maharashtra government so that students in UP could learn Marathi and students in Maharashtra could learn Hindi. We’re also looking to introduce Bhojpuri, Awadi, Braj Bhasha and Bundelkhandi in the school curriculum. We will also introduce foreign languages like French, German and Japanese in our schools.”