Oppn dividing society along caste lines for survival: CM
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Lucknow: In the latest of several successive attacks on the opposition over caste politics, Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath
on Saturday accused them of resorting to caste divisions for political survival.
He said those who "once bowed before the mafia are now trying to divide society along caste lines" and reiterated "batoge toh katoge, ek rahoge toh nek rahoge".
Speaking at an event in Lucknow on the eve of the birth anniversary of Bhamashah, a 16th-century philanthropist who aided Maharana Pratap in his fight against the Mughals, also celebrated by the UP govt as Vyapari Kalyan Diwas, the CM urged people to rise above caste considerations.
Giving the example of Mysore's King Chamarajendra Wadiyar and Khetri's King Ajit Singh, who supported Swami Vivekananda's journey to Parliament of Religions in Chicago, and how in another case Baroda's King Sayajirao Gaekwad awarded a scholarship to Dr BR Ambedkar for higher education abroad, the CM said: "Where was caste in these acts of support? These were examples of selfless, noble contributions that gifted the world great minds like Vivekananda and Ambedkar.
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Calling traders the key pillars of nation-building, he said under his leadership, their interests will always be protected. To highlight the law and order situation in the state before 2017 and now, the CM mentioned the 2016 murder of a trader in Lucknow and the murder of a jeweller in Sultanpur, accusing the previous govts of providing shelter to criminals.
He said under his tenure, it was made clear to anyone who endangered the safety of others that they would face strict consequences.
He added that when his govt took action against miscreants, those who once thrived on caste-based politics began shedding tears for them.
Among the schemes brought in by his govt to support MSMEs, Yogi spoke about the One District One Product scheme which, he said, has boosted traditional industries and generated employment for crores. In contrast, he said, previous govts were known for One District One Mafia, which led to a complete breakdown in law and order.
The CM instructed the GST department to organise annual felicitation ceremonies for the top 10 GST-paying traders in the state capital and the top 10 traders in each district. He also announced that any GST-paying trader who suffers an accident will be given Rs 10 lakh in assistance from the govt.
On the occasion, Yogi presented the Bhamashah Samman to the state's top revenue-contributing traders and honoured several others for their contributions to society.
Relating stories about Bhamashah's life, the CM said that he was born on June 29, 1547, in Rajasthan. "His sharp business acumen and loyalty to the Mewar kingdom earned him the position of minister.
During the crisis following the Battle of Haldighati, when Maharana Pratap faced severe resource shortages, Bhamashah donated his entire wealth to him. With this support, Maharana Pratap was able to reclaim key forts like Mewar and Chittorgarh from the Mughals. Bhamashah's sacrifice symbolised the true spirit of 'Nation First'," the CM said.
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