Claiming improvement on the law and order front in UP, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath almost defended the action of right-wing activists claiming that there was ‘no remedy if someone makes up his or her mind’ to blame an outfit.
Yogi was responding to a question by media persons in lucknow about the Saharanpur clash in which an MP and a senior police official were injured and the Bulandshahr lynching wherein alleged Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) activists were arrested.
“There is no remedy if someone makes up his mind on blaming a particular outfit. You will have to take this into consideration that the victims have already stated that not any outfit but dispute among themselves was the cause of incidents,” the Chief Minister said.
“I can say with confidence that everyone will be safe in the state without any discrimination and the rule of law will remain the priority of the state government,” Yogi asserted.
Ironically, even as Yogi made the claims, another communal clash was reported from Saharanpur on Friday that resulted in the death of one person.
The CM had recently directed HYV workers to conduct themselves properly and not to misuse the saffron colour as it would only dent the image of the outfit or the BJP.
Yogi Adityanath is the founder of Hindu Yuva Vahini, a social, cultural and nationalist group of youths seeking to provide rightist Hindu platform. Yogi founded the organisation in April 2002.
“You might not be accepting the change in Uttar Pradesh in the past month and a half but the entire country is accepting it on law and order. Investment opportunities have been created and people’s confidence has grown,” the CM minister said while claiming a drastic improvement in law and order.
“The rule of law has prevailed in UP and the people in the country are appreciating functioning of the state government,” he added.
In his first media interaction, Yogi said that there could be some incidents of violence or crime but that cannot be linked directly to law and order situation of the state. “The police has changed and now anyone breaking the law would be strictly dealt with,” Yogi stressed.
Talking about the implementation of Real Estate Regulation Act, the CM said that the government will set up a regularity body within a month and the government will not allow blackmailing of consumers. “Buyers of Noida and Ghaziabad had met me and I have assured them of setting up of an authority very soon,” he said.
Replying to a question on the starting of lucknow Metro, Yogi said that the first phase of 8.5 kilometers between Transport Nagar and Charbagh would run after mid-June.
“We are waiting for the fourth train to come and then only the Railway Safety Commissioner will give his nod. But still it will need another 45 days to complete the formalities,” he said.
On Metro Rail projects of other cities, Yogi said that the DPRs of Kanpur and Varanasi have been submitted to the Centre and a positive result is expected soon. Besides, the DPR process of Meerut, Agra and Allahabad are in the last stage while the DPRs for Gorakhpur and Jhansi Metro Rail would be made soon.
Commenting on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the CM said that the rating issued on Thursday, had given a very wrong picture of UP.
“Only Varanasi was at the 32nd spot while nine UP cities have been labelled as the dirtiest. We have started making efforts by making all cities ‘open-defecation free’ by the year end. Help would be taken from social outfits and companies to support our target,’’ the CM said.
Yogi however said that the rating survey of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was done during the Samajwadi Party regime and the next survey to be held in the BJP government, would give some good results.
He also said a team of officials would visit Goa and Bangalore soon to study the project of generating power through city wastes so that companies engaged in waste collection can earn some revenue.
Speaking on Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Yogi said that 61 cities of over one lakh population have been selected including Ayodhya where 381 schemes of drinking water, sanitation and waste management were being implemented.
“Besides, under the Pradhanmantri Awas Yojna, the state government has sent proposal of 1.5 lakh houses for the poor to the Centre. During te next one year, the target is of six lakhs. We are also screening the demand of 29.22 lakh houses in the state,” he said.