Referring to the infamous Sotiganj market of Meerut that specialises in dismantling stolen cars and selling their parts, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Congress had tarnished the image of Sotiganj but the Bharatiya Janata Party government had restored the image.
“Today there is peace and harmony in Meerut,” he said.
Addressing a public gathering in Meerut, the chief minister said, “May 10 is celebrated as Kranti Diwas as India’s First War of Independence triggered from Meerut on May 10, 1857. You have to participate in the municipal elections on May 11. A new revolution can be started with just one vote from you. This revolution will be of good governance, development and nationalism.”
He added that today Meerut and UP were passing through a new phase of development. “Now, UP is known for good governance, positive thinking about development and nationalism. There is no place for curfew, and Kanwar yatra is becoming the identity of Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
Maintaining that UP has made a significant leap to establish new paradigms on the path of development, Yogi said, “Before 2014, the perception of the world was different but now the people have a positive feeling about India.”
He claimed that no one ever anticipated that the 12-lane expressway would be ready in time to link Meerut and Delhi. He said six years ago, this distance was covered in four hours while today it takes 45 minutes. He said rapid rail was going to start from Delhi to Meerut next month and it would make traveling easier. “The distance from Meerut to Prayagraj is covered in 16 hours but in two years you will reach there in six hours through the Ganga Expressway,” he pointed out.
The chief minister emphasised that the sports goods of Meerut were getting global recognition through the One District One Product scheme. He said people were getting employed in Meerut itself and the district was gaining a new identity.
The chief minister added that before 2017, Sotiganj was the identity of Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal. But now ODOP was the identity of Meerut.
The chief minister said the state's first sports university was going to be established in Meerut. He said in the first war of Independence, the flame of revolution was ignited under the leadership of Kotwal Dhan Singh Gurjar and the result of that revolution was that the country became independent in 1947. “We have given a modern look to the police training school here and named it after Dhan Singh,” he said.
Yogi Adityanath said, “Today is the auspicious birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. For peace, harmony, compassion and friendship, the world looks to Lord Buddha. Most of the places associated with Lord Buddha are in UP.”
He said beautification work was going on in Sarnath, where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon while Shrawasti, where he spent maximum chaturmas, was undergoing all-round development, including construction of a new airport.
“In Kapilvastu, where Lord Buddha’s childhood was spent, the work of overall development is going on. Overall development is taking place in Kaushambi and Sankisa also from the point of view of tourism,” he added.