Yogi Adityanath lauds ex-PM Vajpayee; 'He rejected opportunistic politics'

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday, December 25, participated in an event organised on the occasion of former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birth anniversary. The programme was held in Vajpayee's ancestral residence in Bateshwar. 

Addressing the event Chief Minister Yogi said, "Atal Ji's personality was immense. Even after being in public life for six decades, no one could point a finger at him. He rejected opportunistic politics. If some people got power, they looted a lot".

CM Yogi on raids on political parties in UP

"People in power looted the country when in power, that's why when income tax goes to their residence, Rs 2-220 crores is recovered", CM Yogi said. The UP Chief Minister added that the money doesn't come from farms but due to the politics run in the states when they are in power. "Raj Kumar Chahar would be rich if the money came from farms," Adityanath quipped. 

Earlier on December 18, Samajwadi Party national secretary and spokesperson Rajeev Rai's residence was raided by the Income Tax Department owing to suspicion of tax evasion. According to sources, the officials arrived in Mau on Saturday and commenced searches at his home in the Sahadatpura area at approximately 7 am.

Lashing out at the political parties who formed government in UP earlier, CM Adityanath said, "The earlier government did not have teachers of Sanskrit, they kept translators of Urdu and had people who did not know Urdu themselves".

He added that the money which is being given under the housing scheme now could have been given earlier as well. But earlier that money was collected and consumed, the UP chief minister said.

Earlier on October 5, PM Modi digitally handed over 75,000 keys to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U) residences in 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh polls

Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for its Assembly elections, scheduled to be held in 2022. By winning 312 Assembly seats, BJP won the 2017 Assembly elections. In the 403-member Assembly, BJP secured a 39.67% vote share. Congress secured only seven seats while Samajwadi Party (SP) and BSP won 47 seats and 19 seats respectively.

(Image: ANI)