Citing Malegaon blast case verdict, Yogi accuses opposition of ‘shielding terrorists'
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Lucknow: Accusing opposition parties of "implicating innocent Hindus" while shielding actual terrorists in reference to the recent clean chit to the accused of the Malegaon Blast, Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath
on Monday alleged that Congress and Samajwadi Party repeatedly conspired against nationalists and were, in the Malegaon case, questioning the credibility of the country's constitutional institutions.
"Will Congress ever apologise to the nation for its misdeeds?" the CM asked while addressing a public meeting in Meerut. He further said that the politics of Congress and SP was long centred on casteism, communal riots, and appeasement of mafia.
Calling their approach to terrorism "soft", the CM demanded a public apology from Congress, stating that its politics rooted in casteism, riots, and mafia appeasement deeply harmed the nation.
The CM was in Meerut to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for development projects and participated in the bhoomi pujan of a Rs 2,517 crore Integrated Township project, spread across 295 hectares. The CM also provided financial assistance to young entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and housing scheme beneficiaries.
Dedicating the township project to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the CM announced that its name would be 'Atal Shatabdi'.
Located near the Rapid Rail corridor, this project aims to offer affordable and sustainable housing to residents of the National Capital Region. "The township will reshape Meerut's urban landscape with integrated residential, industrial, and commercial facilities, along with schools, technical institutes, and medical colleges. The project is expected to generate employment for lakhs and establish Meerut as a new hub of development," he said.
Elaborating on the development in Meerut in recent years, the CM said that earlier known for its 'Chor Bazar' areas like Sotiganj, it was now gaining international recognition for its sports goods industry, thanks to initiatives like Rapid Rail, the 12-lane expressway, and the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme.
The country's first sports university, named after Major Dhyan Chand, is coming up in Meerut, he said, while the country's longest expressway connecting Meerut to Prayagraj will be completed by the end of the year, reducing travel time to Lucknow to just six hours.
He also announced the commencement of survey work for the Meerut–Haridwar expressway and the integration of divisional offices under one roof as key developmental initiatives and announced new development projects as well, including the reconstruction of the Inner Ring Road and a new Circuit House.
He urged people to purchase indigenous products over foreign goods to stop national wealth "from flowing into anti-national activities".
The CM also announced that on the occasion of Rakshabandhan, women would be able to travel for free in state transport buses from Aug 8 to 10.
He credited the govt's zero-tolerance policy for ridding Meerut of riots and crime and putting it on the path of development. "Eight years ago, Meerut was burning in the flames of communal violence. Today, it is surging ahead with infrastructure like the Rapid Rail and Expressways," he said.
During the event, the Chief Minister distributed loans amounting to Rs 29 crore to 675 entrepreneurs under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyam Vikas Abhiyan. Financial assistance of Rs 64 crore was also extended to 881 self-help groups. Keys to homes were handed over to beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana, and farmers excelling in their field were honoured with citation certificates.
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