Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on Tuesday launched a scathing attack against the Congress-led UPA government, saying that during the previous government’s tenure, people were forced to pay between ₹25,000 and ₹50,000 to get an LPG cooking gas cylinder connection.
He made these remarks at a function in Lucknow to distribute LPG refill subsidies to over 1.89 crore beneficiaries, where the UP government announced that eligible families under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana would receive one free each on Diwali and Holi.
Under the scheme, an allocation of ₹1,500 crore has been made to distribute subsidies for refills to eligible families.
Addressing a gathering, he said, “Recall the time before 2014; under the Congress government, obtaining a cooking gas connection was an arduous struggle, and there were numerous difficulties. One would often have to pay as much as ₹25,000, ₹35,000, or even ₹50,000 in black money to get a single (LPG) connection.”
He added, “During the Congress government, one had to face numerous hardships to get a single gas connection. We have provided free gas connections to poor families, and this is good governance.”
further said that good governance is when the benefits of government schemes reach the people standing at the very last rung of the social ladder, without any discrimination. He continued, “Funds that were previously lost to bribery and unnecessary expenditures are now becoming savings for poor families.”
Citing a recent report, the UP CM noted that roughly 46 crore people in the country have risen above the poverty line, reaching a position where they can lead a normal and prosperous life.
Sharpening his criticism of the -led UPA tenure, Yogi noted, “Look at the tenures of the governments before and after 2014. Before 2014, the youth were unemployed; farmers were forced to commit suicide; the poor were forced to face death by starvation. People had no work, and women had no avenues for self-reliance. Development had stalled, and the nation was in dire straits. Corruption was rampant, with scandals like the Commonwealth Games scam, the 2G (spectrum) scam, and the coal scam. However, after 2014, Modi ji put an effective halt to corruption and these scams. The trust that the people of the nation placed in Modi ji only grew stronger.”
After shedding light on the country’s situation before Prime Minister became the PM, he also elaborated on the state of Uttar Pradesh before he was elected chief minister. He noted, “Forget about festivals or something as basic as a cooking gas cylinder, people struggled just to protect their own property.”
He went on to say that unrest would begin even before celebrations could begin, with riots, curfews, and chaos all around the state. The UP CM also “assured” women that the double-engine government is working promptly to make them self-reliant, ensure their safety, and protect their dignity and rights. After highlighting the efforts made by the ‘double-engine’ government, including providing access to good and ensuring women’s safety, he added that the state government would soon introduce a special package to make women self-reliant.
(with inputs from agencies)
