UP CM points finger at earlier govts in response to Oppn's law and order jibe

Lucknow: Faced with opposition attack on the law and order front, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on Friday hit back, saying those who ruled the state for 10 years are seeking an account from him for his two-month-old government.

"Those who ruled the state for five or ten years ask us to give an account of our performance in two months...stage walk outs on every second issue," he said in the Assembly while replying to the Motion of Thanks to the Governor's address.

While admitting that crime is taking place in the state, he likened the recent incidents to “the last few breaths which come very fast before death”. "I have decided that for crime, criminals and those giving shelter to them, there is no place in the state," the chief minister asserted.

"We will deal with such elements without any mercy...those harassing the poor, helpless and traders will be dealt with sternly," Yogi said. Targeting the previous governments, he said there has been deterioration in the habits which will not improve easily but assured that all steps will be initiated for all-round development of the state and for creating fear-free society.

"Mafia elements will be dealt with sternly in the language they understand...administration has been given a free hand and responsibility has been fixed," Yogi said.

"In UP, crime has been politicised...who has brought casteism in administration…who has committed this sin...it is a reality that criminals have been politicised and there has been a transfer industry functioning here," he said.

Replying to opposition barbs on the RSS, he said it is the only organisation in the world which does not take any help from the government and works selflessly through its swayamsewaks and pracharaks for the country and culture.

"Why is the name of an organisation which has nothing to do with politics and which does not interfere with the government being taken," he asked. The chief minister said that for him, his post is a responsibility and not something to show off and is also a test besides being a thing of pride.

Attacking the opposition for their behaviour during the governor's address, the chief minister said he had heard that only two kind of people blow whistle -- one who are in the traffic police and for the other kind, he has already created 'anti-romeo' squads. Opposition members had used whistles and had targeted the governor with paper balls during his address to the joint session of the two houses on May 15.

Stressing that his government is taking the problems as a challenge, the CM said his government does not represent any caste, belief, sect or religion and it will be seen following the 'sabka saath sabka vikas' slogan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The chief minister said that farmers had been harassed during the BSP and the SP rule and had also committed suicides.

This goes on to prove the shortcomings in the policy, programmes and intentions of the previous governments as this has happened on the land which has been blessed by nature in every manner, he said.

Elaborating on the works done in the two months of his government, he listed farmers' loan waiver, wheat procurement, payment of sugarcane prices, package for potato growers and ending of the VIP culture through the ban on beacon.

He said he had inherited a very weak system on which he is working. "We ended the tradition of providing proper power supply to the selected few districts," he said. Commenting on the state of affairs in the previous government, he said that excise licenses for two years in advance were issued and a lot of people were benefited.

He resolved that liquor shops will not be allowed near bastis, schools, religious places and highways. In a lighter vein, the chief minister said that his excise minister (Jai Pratap Singh) does not consume alcohol, evoking laughter in the house.

He stressed that the ‘discriminatory’ triple talaq should be done away with to honour ‘matr shakti (women force).’ He said his government had to enforce the NGT's order on illegal slaughter houses as the previous government did not do so. Later, the motion of thanks was passed by voice vote and the Assembly was adjourned sine die.