Lucknow, Feb 13 (IANS) Targeting the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that those who oppose Vande Mataram have no right to live in India. He was speaking in the Assembly during the Budget Session. He accused the SP and the Congress of practising appeasement politics and said that they obstructed both development and cultural resurgence in the state. “Those who oppose Vande Mataram have no right to live on Indian soil. Certain political groups eat from India but refuse to sing Vande Mataram,” CM Yogi said, questioning their commitment to the nation.

He accused previous SP-led governments of stalling the development of Ayodhya and Mathura and opposing religious events such as the Kanwar Yatra and Deepotsav. He asserted that Uttar Pradesh, being a centre of faith, is now witnessing a model where development and heritage lead to a renaissance. He said that the state has moved from a riot economy to a temple economy. Referring to the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, he said that while around 12 crore devotees attended the event in earlier years, nearly 21 crore pilgrims participated in this year’s Magh Mela. “This reflects growing public faith in improved law and order,” he said.

Taking a swipe at the pre-2017 era, the Chief Minister claimed that criminals once ran a parallel government and that mafia elements operated freely. “Daughters and traders were not safe then. Today, Uttar Pradesh is a state of celebration, not unrest,” he said. He described the past nine years as a transformation from crime to discipline, curfews to rule of law, unrest to celebration, and distrust to confidence. Uttar Pradesh, he said, is no longer a BIMARU state but is emerging as the country’s third-largest economy and an engine of growth.

Highlighting law enforcement reforms, the CM said the state now has 12 functional forensic laboratories compared to just two or three earlier, along with the establishment of a State Forensic Institute in Lucknow. Cyber police stations have been set up in every district, with cyber desks operational at all police stations. He also noted that over 60,000 police personnel have been recruited, PAC units reorganised, and women’s PAC battalions formed, with more in the pipeline.

Citing NITI Aayog data, Yogi Adityanath said over six crore people have been lifted out of multidimensional poverty in the past eight years. He assured that welfare schemes related to ration distribution, healthcare, and other benefits would continue uninterrupted. He said his government is not driven by a quest for power but by a commitment to good governance, clear policy direction, and strong political will.

--IANS