Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath turned to Tulsidas to illustrate how his government was different from others, taking money from the public only to give it back manifold.
The couplet he chose was one in which Lord Ram tells his brother Bharat that a ruler should extract tax in a manner similar to how the sun takes water from the oceans, rivers, and ponds—without anyone seeing it. Yet when the same water came down in the form of rain, all beings stood to benefit. This, he said, was unlike the Samajwadi Party rule in which Rs 15 crores was used just to distribute Rs 20 crores of unemployment allowance.
Adityanath said his government had not imposed a single new tax in the last eight years but had worked hard to give back to the people and turn UP into a revenue-surplus state.
#WATCH | Lucknow | Speaking in Assembly, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath says, "Today's Samajwadi Party takes the name of Dr Lohia but has gone away from its ideals. SP has forgotten Dr Lohia's conduct, ideals, and principles. He said that Vishnu, Shankar, and Ram are the basis… pic.twitter.com/9UonvPEPcx
— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2025
Another mythological reference came for the direct benefit transfer scheme which he said was like the mallet of Bhim (one of the Pandava brothers in the Mahabharat) for it had destroyed corruption.
Adityanath delivered his address on Tuesday evening as part of the Budget session of the state Assembly.
He tore into the previous government both directly and by reeling off figures from 2017 (when he was sworn in as CM for the first term) and comparing them with current figures.
One of his jibes was that the name of the Samajwadi Party was associated with every ‘bura’ (bad) deed in some way.
The violence in Sambhal that happened in November last year also figured in his speech. He said that there was a mischievous attempt to destroy the existence of 68 teerth (pilgrimage sites) and 19 koop (wells).
“It was our duty to find them…what is ours should be given to us; there are no two ways about it”, the chief minister said.
He elaborated on the state’s progress, saying that UP was no longer a break in the nation’s development, rather it had become a breakthrough state.
The recently concluded Mahakumbh also featured prominently in the CM’s speech. He highlighted the fact that 33 crore women had come to the mela but there had been no untoward incident. (There were some instances of miscreants filming bathing women, but the police took swift action against them).
#WATCH | Targeting Opposition on its statements over Prayagraj Mahakumbh, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath says, "Mahakumbh has been able to showcase the state's ability to hold such a large event to the country and the country's ability to the world. The misinformation that you… pic.twitter.com/Oy05m60l0r
— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2025
He asked the Opposition to prove its allegation that the BJP’s thought process was communal when at the Mahakumbh people congregated without distinction of religion, caste or region. He likened the organization of the congregation to a trial by fire which the state had cleared in an exemplary fashion. This would echo in the world for a long time to come, he said.
