On the final day of campaigning on Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath entered the electoral battlefield in Haryana, where he addressed three public meetings to seek votes for the Bharatiya Janata Party candidates and extended wishes for Shardiya Navratri to the people.

Yogi criticised the Congress party for spreading misinformation during the Lok Sabha elections, accusing it of falsely claiming that if the BJP returned to power, the Constitution and reservation system would be abolished.

He also recalled the Congress promise of giving Rs 1 lakh to every poor person. “Ask Congress where their ‘khata khat-khata khat’ is now,” he said, adding that Rahul Gandhi, who once championed this phrase, has disappeared from the scene and has been politically sidelined.

Yogi urged voters to support BJP candidates Subhash Kalsana from Shahabad, Kamlesh Dhanda from Kalayat and Ramkumar Gautam from Safidon. He also highlighted the significance of Kurukshetra as a historical and spiritual site.

Chief Minister Yogi accused Congress of making empty promises and pointed out that its divisive tactics — based on caste, region, language and religion — are part of the party’s core strategy to weaken the country.

“A weak nation means a weakened Sanatan, which threatens both the present and future generations,” he said.

Yogi added that the conspiracies of Congress ensure that no honest, civilised or development-focused individual aligns with the party.

Chief Minister Yogi accused the Congress of being complicit with drug cartels, land mafias, cattle smugglers, mining mafias and rioters. Alleging collusion between the Congress and the mafias, Yogi said: “Congress ka haath, Mafia ke saath.”

He reassured the public that no criminal or anti-national elements could harm a society that reveres Jagatjanani Maa Bhagwati. He likened the upcoming election to the BJP’s battle against modern-day ‘Chand-Mund and Mahishasur’.

Yogi also pointed out that Uttar Pradesh has been riot-free for the last seven and a half years of his government, contrasting it with the frequent riots and extended curfews during previous governments.

“We warned the rioters and their instigators that if they dared disrupt peace, they would face severe consequences,” he stated, adding that those who harm daughters, kidnap businessmen, steal crops, or jeopardise youth employment now face strict punishment, with their assets seized and redistributed to the poor.

He underscored that the BJP is the only effective solution against the mafia.

Chief Minister Yogi also reminded the audience of the brutal burning of a Dalit father and daughter in Mirchpur 14 years ago during Congress rule. He emphasised that a society’s future cannot be bright if it does not protect the dignity of its daughters and sisters.

He asserted that no anti-national elements in UP can walk with pride today, and the government is committed to dealing firmly with wrongdoers.

Chief Minister Yogi highlighted that lakhs of devotees from Kaithal and Kalayat travel to Uttar Pradesh for the Kanwar yatra each year. He said, “Before 2017, when there was no BJP government in UP, the Kanwar yatra faced difficulties.”

He added, “When my government came into power, I enquired about this, and I was told that the yatra caused inconvenience to some people. I responded by saying that such people should stay indoors. If anyone creates obstacles for Kanwar pilgrims, strict action will be taken.”

He emphasised that the pilgrimage should be accompanied by good roads, electricity, shelters, food stalls, hot water and the protection of devotees’ dignity.

He also addressed complaints about loud music, bells and conches during the yatra. “If some are bothered by it, they should close their ears, but the Kanwar yatra in UP will be celebrated with grandeur. The microphones in places where there is unnecessary noise will be turned off,” Chief Minister Yogi remarked, noting that more than four crore pilgrims travel from the Dudheshwar Nath temple in Ghaziabad to Haridwar annually.

He also mentioned that he participates in the yatra by showering flowers, an act that Congress, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) cannot replicate.

Chief Minister Yogi praised Haryana’s brave soldiers and athletes, stating, “Whether on the battlefield or in sports, the enemy cannot stand before Haryana’s soldiers. The athletes from here consistently bring home medals from the Olympics, Asiad and Commonwealth Games.”

 He assured that as long as the double-engine government remains, nothing can hinder Haryana’s progress.

He also expressed confidence that the BJP will form a government in Jammu and Kashmir, contrasting the BJP’s commitment to good governance and development with Congress’ false promises.

Referring to January 22, 2024, when Ram Lalla was ceremoniously seated at his holy birthplace in Ayodhya by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Yogi remarked that every Indian was filled with joy. “There were tears of happiness in the eyes of every Indian, and homes were lit with lamps in celebration,” he said.

The event, he added, sends a powerful message to the marginalised and oppressed communities, showing that when all forces unite, success is inevitable. He credited the realisation of Ayodhya’s success to the power of the judiciary and the double-engine government.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted that Narendra Modi became prime minister in 2014, followed by the formation of the double-engine government in Uttar Pradesh in 2017. By 2019, the long-standing issue of 500 years was resolved. “Today, there is no structure of slavery in Ayodhya. The city is now filled with a renewed sense of security and prosperity,” he stated.

He cited the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the abrogation of Article 370, which had become synonymous with terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, as clear examples of the power of the double-engine government. He also praised Haryana for making significant strides in development over the past decade.

Chief Minister Yogi condemned drug dealers for exploiting the youth and compared them to forces aiming to weaken the nation. “Jagatjanani Maa Bhagwati will destroy the Mahishasur and Chand-Munds involved in the drug trade,” he declared.

Referring to Haryana as ‘Haribhoomi’, Yogi e explained that the land is sacred, tied to the hard work of farmers who feed the nation. “Hari, meaning Lord Ram, Lord Vishnu and Lord Krishna, is invoked on this land to signify that whenever injustice occurs, Hari will return to restore balance. The double-engine government carries this message of divine justice,” he added.

Chief Minister Yogi further reflected on India’s historical struggle against colonial powers. “When the country was enslaved, the Mughals and the British did not desire its freedom,” he said. While Congress formed the first government of independent India, it failed to build the Ram temple.

He contrasted two cultural ideologies: one that reveres Ram and the other which follows the culture of Rome. “We, the devotees of Ram, stand for the values of Ram, while those who oppose the Ram Janmabhoomi follow the culture of Rome,” he asserted.

Chief Minister Yogi condemned Congress for dismissing the kirtans of Ram and Krishna as mere “naach-gaana”" calling it clear evidence of the party’s corruption.

People of Haryana love Yogiji: Naveen Jindal

Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal told the crowd at public meetings that the people of Haryana love Yogiji even more than the people of Uttar Pradesh. The entire venue resonated with chants of ‘Yogi-Yogi’ in response.

Jindal went on to say that four months ago, during the Lok Sabha elections, the UP chief minister campaigned for him in Kurukshetra, and that he owed his victory to Chief Minister Yogi’s support.

The people of Haryana seemed genuinely thrilled and energised by Yogi Adityanath’s presence. After the first public meeting in Shahabad, a song played continuously in front of Chief Minister Yogi: “Bhagwadhari aa rahe, ab hai Mathura ki bari.”