Defence Minister Rajnath Singh appealed to people to cast their votes in favour of BJP.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday appealed to people to cast their votes in favour of the BJP, saying "if new India is to be made, then a new Uttar Pradesh is also needed".
Addressing a public gathering at Katra under Shahjahanpur constituency, the minister appealed to people to give their support to fulfill the need of the time and write the "fortune of Uttar Pradesh by supporting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath" to retain in power for another five years.
"The election of this time is the election for the creation of a new Uttar Pradesh, because if a new India is to be made, then a new Uttar Pradesh is also needed for it... Only people can do the work of writing the fortune of new Uttar Pradesh because you are not only a voter but also a creator of fortune," said Mr Singh.
The Minister also referred to works of BJP-led government in the Centre, saying "the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modiji has succeeded in increasing India's prestige and self-respect in the international world".
"Earlier, India's point of view was not taken seriously in international forums. Today if India says anything, the whole world listens to it," said the Minister.
Referring to surgical strikes and air strikes conducted by the Indian armed forces after the terrorist attack on India's paramilitary forces in Uri and Pulwama, the Minister said, "Our army personnel went to Pakistan's soil and eliminated the terrorist bases."
With the move, Mr Singh said, "We have given a clear signal to the whole world that India is no longer a weak country".
"If some nefarious force in the world dares to raise an eye towards us, then we can kill on this side also and if needed we can kill on that side also," he asserted.
The minister compared between previous governments of other parties and the present BJP government at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh, saying "no one can say that any BJP minister has been accused of corruption".
He said as long as there is corruption, the kind of development we want will not happen.
Mr Singh also made a veiled reference to corruption allegations faced by Congress-led subsequent UPA governments at the Centre and Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government in UP before BJP came to power at both the Centre and state.
He also ensured people that their trust is BJP party's wealth and that the party will never break this trust, and keep providing employment as well as ration and medicine to poor in Uttar Pradesh.
"Your trust is BJP's wealth. We never broke your trust and we will never break it," Mr Singh asserted.
Mentioning that "there is a competition between the party which focuses on the development and those who are against development".
"If you choose development, there will be good governance, the homes of the poor will be illuminated. There will be employment for youth and their income will increase. There will be free ration and medicine for poor," Mr Singh ensured.
The Minister also ensured "har ghar nal and jal" (tap water in every home).
Mr Singh said what the BJP promised it completed and its work will continue like this. The minister said that an individual can be wrong in the party but the party will not be wrong ever.
He praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for action against criminals and creating fear in hurts of "mafias" (known criminals).
He also hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his recent statement in Parliament, blaming the BJP-led government's foreign policy to bring China and Pakistan together.
Referring to a violent clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Ladakh's Galwan valley, the Defence Minister had said the Indian soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and even sacrificed their lives.
Taking a jibe at Mr Gandhi over the number of casualties on the Chinese side, he had said, "It means you (Rahulji) will accept whatever Chinese mouthpiece Global Times says."
Mr Singh referred to a report published in the Australian newspaper "The Klaxon", which stated the possibility of 38-50 Chinese casualties.
Mr Singh also said that, unlike other parties, the BJP fulfilled all its promises what it made to the public.
The minister informed how the BJP government abrogated Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and brought Citizenship Amendment Act for the reliably persecuted Indians residing in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
A day ago, Mr Singh also attacked Samajwadi Party accusing it of doing "politics of appeasement", and asserted that "only BJP can do development" in Uttar Pradesh.
The 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly is scheduled to go to polls in seven phases on February 10, February 14, February 20, February 23, February 27, March 3 and March 7. The counting of votes will be taken up on March 10.