Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that people of Azamgarh had to hide their identities due to narrow-minded divisive forces.
The apparent reference was to the “terror tag” attached to the district in the past. Some of the accused involved in the Ahmedabad serial blasts (2008) and Delhi's Batla House encounter hailed from this area.
Yogi Adityanath was in Azamgarh for the first time after winning parliamentary bypolls, on the seat left by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, to lay foundation stone/inaugurate 50 developmental projects worth about Rs 145 crores.
In March, while addressing elections rallies at various assembly segments of the district, the chief minister had said that Azamgarh has become a “home of terror and criminals" during the SP government.
"Due to 'rajnatik sankirnta' (political narrow mindedness) the talent became victim of the divisive forces in the national arena. This created an identity crisis among the youth of Azamgarh," he said.
"I am here to thank you all for ensuring the victory of your MP (Dinesh Lal Yadav alias Nirahua). I am indebted to you and I have come here to launch 50 developmental projects for you," Adityanath said.
While attacking previous regimes and holding them responsible for the sorry state of affairs in the area, he said, "Remember five years ago, the youth of Azamgarh had to hide their identities when they went out of the state. The reason was that if they disclosed their identity, they did not get room to stay in hotels and 'dharamshalas', no one was ready to give them room on rent in their localities. Just think what the person who left his place for a job must have felt.” He said the perception of people changed after the BJP formed a government in the state. "Even when you, people of Azamgarh, did not have BJP MLAs and MP," the government ensured development here.
The chief minister said Purvanchal expressway, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November last year, had connected people of Azamgarh with Lucknow and Delhi.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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