Yogi Adityanath steps up attack on opposition over Murshidabad violence

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath once again tore into the Opposition for its “silence” on the violence in West Bengal’s Murshidabad during the protests against the Waqf Amendment Act.

 

Speaking at an event in Lucknow on Thursday, the CM said that the silence on the violence and on the alleged role of illegal Bangladeshi migrants in it had completely exposed the opposition before the people.

 

In a sharp attack on the opposition parties, Adityanath said they had built their empires on corruption, casteism, mafiaism and nepotism, and were responsible for looting the state.

 

The UP CM has repeatedly targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state over the violent protests in Murshidabad. He also took swipe at the Congress and the Samajwadi Party for not condemning the violence.

 

Adityanath likened the situation in Murshidabad to that of UP under the previous SP government when “riots were common and the state was ruled by the mafia”. 

 

“Not only did mafias control the government, they also decided who would get contracts, create riots and harass women and traders. From one district, one mafia; UP had changed to be a state of one district, one medical college,” he said.

 

People are no more in fear when it comes to celebrating their festivals, he added.

 

“The Murshidabad of today was like the Muzaffarnagar, Bareilly, Aligarh and Lucknow of yesterday,” he said.

 

Adityanath once again touched upon the recent controversies over Shivaji, Maharana Pratap and Rana Sanga, accusing the opposition of  glorifying destroyers like Aurangzeb, Babar and Jinnah. He said that the opposition indulged in propaganda for vote bank politics and spread hate in society. 

 

“For a prosperous society it is important to respect our national heroes,” he said.

 

Highlighting the infrastructure development in the last eight years of his government, he said that the state now had the best facilities in the country. These included highways, expressways, railways, and metro. He said that before 2017, UP's GSDP was Rs 12.75 lakh crores, which had now reached Rs 30 lakh crores.

 

Per capita income has increased from Rs 46,000 to more than Rs 1.10 lakh and would soon reach Rs 1.25 lakh. As for investment, the state had already realised investment worth Rs 15 lakh crore, claimed the chief minister.

India