Varanasi, Oct 7 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that the state has undergone a major transformation under the guidance and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the mafia being wiped out and the state’s rich heritage emerging as a new identity.
Addressing a felicitation ceremony for participants of the Seva Sankalp Yatra at Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya in Varanasi, CM Adityanath said, “The Kashi Vishwanath Dham, the grand Ram temple at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and the Maa Vindhyavasini Corridor were examples of the transformation.”
He also cited the successful Maha Kumbh and the renewed vibrancy of Mathura-Vrindavan as symbols of a “new Uttar Pradesh and a new India”.
The Seva Sankalp Yatra, which travelled from Vadnagar to Kashi, was organised to mark 25 years of Prime Minister Modi’s public service, governance and nation-building journey. More than 1,000 BJP Yuva Morcha workers participated in the initiative.
The CM said October 7, 2001 marked the beginning of a significant political journey when Narendra Modi took charge in Gujarat. “Gujarat was suffering from the devastation caused by the Bhuj earthquake. Tremors continued for months, but under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, Gujarat rose again and emerged as a model state,” he said.
He added that the experience of the governance model that PM Modi began building in Gujarat 25 years ago was now being experienced across the country.
“India has become safer and more prosperous and has emerged as a force on the global map,” Yogi said, congratulating PM Modi on behalf of the people of Uttar Pradesh on completing 25 years of his journey as a head of government.
The Chief Minister said PM Modi’s vision was to build a developed and self-reliant India, adding that this goal could be achieved only when every district, village, town and state moved towards self-reliance and development.
He said the Seva Sankalp Yatra was not only celebrating PM Modi’s 25 years of public service but was also reflecting the spirit of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”.
“The energy of the youth will help realise the resolve of a developed India by 2047,” CM Adityanath said.
Taking a swipe at the previous law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, he said that a decade ago, land on which a mafia member set his eyes would effectively become his.
“If a Samajwadi Party worker set his eyes on a piece of land, it was considered as good as his,” he said. Yogi alleged that women and girls could not move out after sunset, traders lived in fear and festivals were often preceded by disturbances rather than celebrations.
“The state was going through an identity crisis at that time,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the journey also strengthened the spirit of national unity, with holy water brought from Vadnagar to the Kashi Vishwanath Dham and water from Varanasi taken to the Hatkeshwar Mahadev temple. He praised the young participants for completing the journey despite heat, rain and difficult conditions.
Referring to the Seva Sankalp campaign being organised from September 17 to October 17, CM Yogi Adityanath said the initiative was reaching new heights under the leadership of BJP national president Nitin Nabin and called upon the youth to remain prepared for upcoming programmes.
More than 1,000 workers travelled from Vadnagar to Kashi on 500 motorcycles. The yatra covered 35,263 km across 20 routes, reaching 193 districts, 773 tehsils and 1,159 villages in 10 states.
During the journey, participants organised 1,518 service programmes under 25 categories, planted 13,239 saplings and conducted 516 cleanliness drives. They also held 147 beneficiary interactions, 143 youth dialogues and 122 gram sabhas.
The youth participated in cleanliness, plantation and anti-drug campaigns during the journey. PM Modi also interacted virtually with the participants.
A large peacock-shaped rangoli at the venue depicted messages related to development schemes of the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, self-reliant India and social welfare.
The programme began with the national anthem, followed by the screening of a short film on the Seva Sankalp Yatra. The CM also interacted with women and girl students, posed for photographs with them and distributed toffees to the students.
–IANS
brt/uk
