Adityanath govt turned UP into one of 'leading states' in country, claims Nadda

Crediting the Yogi Adityanath government with turning Uttar Pradesh into one of the "leading states" in the country, BJP national president J P Nadda on Friday exhorted party leaders and workers to ensure that welfare schemes and programme reach people.

Inaugurating a working committee meeting of the party through video conferencing, Nadda said four years ago the state was "afflicted by appeasement politics" where a particular caste used to get benefits and the other faced harassment.

"There was nothing in the name of development. It had become a centre of casteism, nepotism and corruption. Today, we can say with pride that in four years, UP has become one of the leading states of the country," Nadda said.

This Uttar Pradesh was once a "BIMARU", now it is known for ease of doing business, Nadda said, adding that a curfew was a common thing in the past but there had not been a single riot under the BJP government.

With the Assembly elections slated for early next year, the BJP president exhorted party workers to take the government schemes to the common people and farmers.

He also congratulating the state party unit, government and the workers for a "massive win" in the recent district panchayat elections.

"People have outrightly rejected the SP and BSP and given them the message to sit at home," Nadda said.

"I hope that BJP workers will fulfil the responsibility that has come their way with all their strength," he said.

Speaking about coronavirus, the BJP president praised the strategy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing a lockdown at the right time to prepare for the pandemic.

Comparing the country with the United States and Britain, he said political workers need to tell people about the strides taken in the health sector to deal with the pandemic in such a short span of time.

He lauded the Yogi government's test, trace and treat strategy and said his efforts were not only getting praise in the country but also at the global level.

The PM praised it in Varanasi on Thursday and an Australian parliamentarian has also hailed the state for coronavirus management, he said.

"Through water, road and air modes, oxygen was made available to people in one week when some people sitting in Delhi were playing politics. They needed 400 metric tonnes and were asking for 900 metric tonnes and knocking the doors of courts," he said without naming the AAP government in Delhi.

Giving in detailed account of the works done after the pandemic hit the nation, he claimed 416 PSA plants are being set up in UP through the PM Cares Fund and asked party leaders and workers to visit hospitals, meet officials and make a good use of their political power to remove problems.

On the vaccination drive, Nadda said the vaccine for TB, chickenpox and polio became available in the country when the entire world was almost free of these diseases.

"Whereas now, we have a prime minister who created a task force to prepare two corona vaccines in nine months. But some leaders having 'band, mand, choti buddhi' were saying that we should not be treated as rats, we are not guinea pigs, third trial has not been done, do not push us in the death trap," he said targeting the Opposition.

In an apparent reference to Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, he said "A UP leader has termed it as a BJP vaccine. It is altogether different that his father got the vaccine and after that he is also ready now."

Those having such a small thinking have the ambition of becoming a leader of the state, he said, adding that people have given a befitting reply to such leaders in the past and will do it in future too.

He also said it is the responsibility of party workers to inspire all people above 18 to take the vaccine and give a befitting reply to those terming it as a BJP vaccine.