Perception about UP has changed, says CM

LUCKNOW: Listing his achievements in the past 30 months, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said the perception of the state has changed considerably during this period.

“On March 19, 2017, the BJP government was formed in the state after a 14-year exile. In the past two-and-half years UP was pulled out from a state of identity crisis as we converted challenges into opportunities,” Adityanath said during a press conference marking the completion of his two and a half years in office.

He said the state has created a record in implementation of various central schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Saubhagya Yojana, Kisan insurance, construction of toilets and provision of health insurance, a remark that immediately drew sharp criticism from the opposition Samajwadi Party (SP). SP chief Akhilesh Yadav attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, and termed its celebration of two-anda-half years completion as misplaced. He said that instead of making progress and development, the Yogi government had pushed the state into anarchy, loot, insecurity. “When the chief minister was addressing a press conference on the completion of his government’s two and a half years in office, two groups exchanged fire in Unnao. Many incidents happened during this period — the Unnao rape victim attempted suicide outside the CM’s residence to make herself heard, and now a Shahjahanpur woman is struggling for justice ,” said Akhilesh Yadav.

“Murders, rapes, loot, lynching, custodial death are now an everyday affair. UP is perhaps number one in murders. Criminals are striking at will,” he alleged. He also accused Adityanath of taking credit for projects launched during the tenure of the Samajwadi Party. “Manyawar ke suchnarth” [for the Hon’ble Chief Minister’s attention], he tweeted, listing 21 projects “begun during the SP term”.

The list includes, Purvanchal Expressway, a 500-bed super-specialty child care ward at Gorakhpur hospital, Gomti riverfront project, Varuna riverfront project, a cancer research institute, and a ropeway, Bhajan Sthal in Ayodhya, Etawah Lion Safari and Mughal Museum in Agra.