"Corruption was at its peak before 2014": CM Yogi Adityanath slams Congress

Firozabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 28 : Hitting out at the previous Congress led-United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said before 2014, when the BJP came to power, corruption was at its peak.

"Before 2014, the country faced an identity crisis, with corruption at its peak and the youth feeling upset. India's respect as a country was declining globally. Development was limited to the Five-Year Plans. PM Modi has established a new India and presented a picture of one India and the best India," Yogi Adityanath said.

Headlining a public meeting at Tilak Inter College on the third day of campaign in the state ahead of the urban local body polls, CM Adityanath said India is now being recognized for its talent, technology, and training, and the global community looks towards India in times of crisis.

"There is no longer a focus on appeasement in the new India but rather on empowering its citizens. This has led to improvements in areas such as station, housing, and access to food," the UP CM said further.

He claimed that terror has vshed from cities of Uttar Pradesh and they are now recognized as safe cities. "The cities in UP are transforming into smart cities and shedding their previous reputation as garbage dumps," CM Adityanath added.

He added that the past glory was restored to the 'City of Glass' (Firozabad). The city has undergone expansion under the city creation scheme, and a new Nagar Panchayat called Makhanpur has been created. Additionally, five projects worth Rs 323 crore have been approved for the city under the AMRUT mission, which aims to provide basic infrastructure services in urban areas.

One of these projects is the Har Ghar Nal project, which provides clean drinking water to 14,000 households at Rs 27 crore.

He added that the city had received investment proposals worth thousands of crores through the Global Investors Summit, which has received investment proposals worth Rs 35 lakh crore. These proposals can create job opportunities for over one crore youth in Uttar Pradesh.

He also praised the National Education Policy (NEP) introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The policy could combine the talent of India and Uttar Pradesh with technology and training, which could provide job opportunities at the local level, he noted.

While not naming any particular party in the Opposition, CM Adityanath said there was a time when members of a political party would roam the streets with guns, but today, the youths were being given tabs and smartphones instead of firearms.