Oppn parties nurtured mafia elements during their 15-year rule in UP: Yogi

UP CM Yogi Adityanath accused the Opposition parties of having nurtured mafia elements during the 15 years of their rule in the state and said his government was taking decisive action against them

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday accused the Opposition parties of having nurtured mafia elements during the 15 years of their rule in the state and said his government was taking decisive action against them.

Addressing BJP workers of the Malhani Assembly constituency in Jaunpur ahead of the November 3 by-election, Adityanath said a major difference between the ruling BJP and the Opposition could be assessed from the fact that his government has launched a decisive action to eliminate the mafia from the state.

"It is no secret that during the past 15 years, the Opposition parties in the state have only nurtured these mafias. The mafia elements grabbed land of the poor and set up their empire with the help of political parties," he said in the virtual address.

Stressing that the "sabka saath, sabka vikas" mantra of Prime Minister Narendra Modi should remain the motto of the party, he said, "There is no alternative to development and the nefarious designs of the Opposition can be countered only through development."

The chief minister said those who have no faith in development are hell-bent on vitiating the atmosphere through their politics of caste, religion and region.

He exhorted the party workers to spread the message of development and also to insulate people from such negativity.

He lauded the welfare workers of the state government during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying its performance has been beyond ordinary.

He also cited various works undertaken by his government during the pandemic.

The BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit president Swatantra Dev Singh stressed that mass contact and communication are the most important factors required in the campaigning during the trying times of COVID-19.

"It is very important to motivate people to vote in large numbers because a high voter turnout will always help," he said.