Even as the BJP is going full throttle to pitchfork development at the core of its poll campaign, Union Minister for Surface Transport and Waterways Nitin Gadkari said that caste politics was behind the backwardness of UP.
“Uttar Pradesh is backward because people here are divided on caste lines. Political parties exploit this and use castes as vote banks. Until people get out of this caste syndrome, the state can not progress,” Gadkari said while inaugurating two four-lane and three other roads in Gorakhpur on Thursday. The Centre has issued Rs3373 crore for this project.
Gadkari said that even after 70 years of independence, UP is in poor condition but the people here are responsible for this.
Gadkari said that UP has land and water in abundance still it is lagging behind in development because of caste politics. Modern technology not caste should be the driving force. “It is unfortunate that the people of this state have used caste to gain political advantage,” he said.
The Union minister said that the Union government has taken an initiative to improve highways across the state. “If we can build infrastructure, industries will automatically start coming to the state. These industries will bring jobs and hope for the youth. Prime Minister Naredra Modi has a vision and we are working on this,” he said.
When local MP Yogi Adityanath, who was also on the satge, put forward some demands, Gadkari said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will fulfill all the demands of UP, but first the people should vote the party to power.