Attempts were made to defame Kanwar Yatra but foiled by society's awareness, alert administration: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that attempts to defame the Kanwar Yatra have repeatedly failed due to the vigilance of society and the proactive stance of the administration.

Addressing a public meeting here after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of 545 development projects worth Rs 2,264 crore, he also said that the yatra is now a symbol of unity and devotion.

Taking a swipe at opposition parties, Adityanath accused them of indulging in appeasement politics.


"Before 2017, Bareilly used to witness communal riots every third month. Today, it is known for the Nath Corridor and spiritual tourism," he said.

"Now in implementation of any scheme there is no discrimination on basis of caste, religion or area. This is new India which is progressing with the thought of 'sabka saath sabka vikas'," he added.

On the Kanwar Yatra, he said, "Attempts were made to hurt people's sentiments and defame the yatra, but the resolve of an awakened society and effective law and order crushed those intentions. Today, lakhs of devotees perform jalabhishek in Bareilly's Nath Corridor - this is becoming the new identity of the city."

Talking about development works, Adityanath said, "The double-engine BJP government is linking heritage with development. Projects include Nath Corridor, flood protection works, road widening, a Unani medical college, drinking water schemes, and urban infrastructure."

He also distributed appointment letters to over 6,000 youths selected through a rozgar mela and provided certificates and tablets to beneficiaries of various welfare schemes.

Adityanath praised the success of the "Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Yojana", saying, "Under this scheme, selected youths are provided interest-free and collateral-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh. On timely repayment, loans can be increased to Rs 7.5 lakh and then Rs 10 lakh."

He further said, "Before 2017, government jobs were a free-for-all for political relatives. Chachas and bhatijas used to run recruitment like their private business. In the last eight years, over 8.5 lakh youths have been given jobs in a transparent manner."

Citing recruitment in the police force, he said, "We have completed recruitment of 60,244 police personnel, of which more than 12,000 are women of the state."

Adityanath urged elected representatives to publicly honour these selected candidates and their families to inspire others in society.

Claiming that the state is now free from the mafia, he said, "Earlier, every district had its own mafia don. Today, Uttar Pradesh is known for 'One District One Medical College' and 'One District One Product'. We are preserving spiritual heritage while building a modern infrastructure."

Highlighting tourism development, Adityanath said sites like Ramnagar Fort and Akshat Parshvanath Digambar Jain temple will be developed with central government support.

"The double-engine government is working tirelessly to ensure prosperity and happiness in people's lives," he added.