‘Nature has a way of settling scores’

Addressing an election meeting on what once was the home turf of slain gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday appeared to invoke nature as a great leveller — a force that delivers justice. “Some people had turned Prayagraj, where people suffering from injustice and atrocities come with a desire for justice, into a land of injustice and atrocities,” Adityanath said addressing a meeting in the former Samajwadi Party MLA’s Allahabad West constituency.

“But this nature doesn’t commit an atrocity on anyone, nor does it accept an atrocity. It settles scores for everyone,” he said, without naming anyone. Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot dead by three men, who posed as media persons, when they were being taken to a Prayagraj hospital for medical checkup under police escort on April 15. Ahmad was among those accused of killing Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal. Umesh Pal was shot dead, along with his two security guards, outside his home in Dhoomanganj area of Prayagraj in broad daylight on February 24.

The shoot out had raised serious questions on law and order in Uttar Pradesh and Adityanath had vowed in the assembly to “destroy” the mafia in the state. At his public meetings, he stressed on improvement in law and order during the term of the BJP government in the state.

On Tuesday, the last day of campaigning for the first phase of urban local body polls, the chief minister said, “It’s the same Uttar Pradesh where festivals were celebrated in the shadow of fear and terror. But today festivals bring prosperity. Today there is no curfew, no riots in the state.” “Today, there is no terror of eve teasers in cities. Today, our cities are becoming safe cities. Girls can go to school safely, businessmen can do business.

Today, the youth do not have ‘tamancha’ (country-made pistols) in their hands, they have tablets,” he said. He said those who used to grab properties of the poor and extorted money from traders have been forced to surrender to the law.

“Today, the state traders welfare board is giving a security insurance of Rs 10 lakh to traders.” Adityanath said his government has focused on empowerment of people rather than appeasement.

“Everyone has developed in our government,” he said. “Today, Uttar Pradesh is moving beyond the dynasty-based and casteist-minded parties with a thought of nationalism. UP is scaling new heights of development now.”

The chief minister was campaigning for BJP mayoral candidate Umesh Chandra Ganesh Kesarwani at the Leaders Press Ground. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, several other ministers in the UP government and BJP MPs and MLAs were present during the election meeting. Later, at an election meeting in Jhansi, Adityanath said his government will keep cracking down on criminals.