Gorakhpur (UP), Nov 8 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress of "spreading propaganda" against Ayodhya, claiming that the ongoing journey of heritage preservation and development in the state would eventually threaten the political existence of the two opposition parties.
Addressing a Diwali programme for the Van Tangiya community at Jungle Tinkonia in Gorakhpur, Adityanath said the opposition parties were uncomfortable with the development of Ayodhya and the infrastructure projects being undertaken in the state.
"People are now maligning Ayodhya out of fear. They are spreading propaganda against Ayodhya because they know that if this journey of heritage and development continues in the same manner, the politics of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress will be buried forever," he said.
"Those who once created an identity crisis for the state will now face a crisis of their own political identity. If this journey continues with the same strength and unity, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party will themselves face an identity crisis," he added.
The chief minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 52 development projects worth more than Rs 82 crore for the Van Tangiya community and distributed kits among beneficiaries of various government schemes.
Claiming that the community faced hardships before 2017, Adityanath said Van Tangiya villages were deprived of basic facilities, including roads, electricity, drinking water, ration cards, schools, healthcare, pensions and pucca houses.
"Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, and the entire country celebrated Diwali. But first the British, then the Congress and later the Samajwadi Party left you and your ancestors wandering in these forests for more than 100 years," he said.
He said Uttar Pradesh had 56 Van Tangiya villages whose residents were deprived of basic amenities and official recognition for decades.
The chief minister claimed that the situation had changed significantly after the BJP government came to power in 2017.
"Do you have pucca roads today? Do you have ration cards, pucca houses, schools and Ayushman cards? Before 2017, the answer to every question was no. Today, the answer to every question is yes," he said.
Drawing a political contrast between the BJP-led NDA and the opposition, he alleged that while previous governments focused on their own families rather than the poor and other deprived sections of society, the BJP government worked for the entire population to ensure that the benefits of schemes reach everyone without discrimination.
Referring to the Ram temple movement, the chief minister alleged that those who had opposed the construction of the temple and tried to stop devotees from reaching Ayodhya were now resorting to propaganda against the holy city.
He said infrastructure development in Ayodhya, including roads, electricity facilities, the airport and railway connectivity, had gathered pace under the BJP government.
"As a devotee of Lord Ram, we have embraced every forest dweller, every hill dweller, every deprived person and every Dalit.
"We have made them partners in the work for Ram," and it is the same as work for the nation, Adityanath said.
Reminding people of the situation before 2017, he said that saying 'Jai Shri Ram' in Ayodhya was prohibited, and lathis and bullets were used. At that time, opposition party leaders used to say that Lord Ram had never existed, he charged.
"Those who could not stop the momentum of Ayodhya, could not restrict the procession of devotees of Lord Ram, and failed in every attempt to obstruct it, are the very people who are now engaged in defaming Ayodhya," Adityanath said.
Adityanath also urged people to celebrate festivals with happiness and enthusiasm and stay away from drugs and gambling.
Warning against substance abuse, he said the government's next major campaign, after action against the 'mafia', was directed against drug traffickers.
He urged young people to concentrate on education and said the BJP-led double-engine government would work to provide them employment and livelihood opportunities.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)