Lucknow: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) of misusing funds received by temples and allowing encroachments on shrine properties, saying those responsible for such acts were in no position to lecture others on development.Addressing an event in Kushinagar, the CM made an apparent reference to the ongoing Ram Temple donation theft controversy and said: “Those who snatched employment opportunities from the youth could never have thought about Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi. These people pocketed money received in the name of temples and allowed encroachments on temple land. Today, those temples are being revived and beautified. Those who spent temple funds on constructing boundary walls of graveyards do not look good talking about development.”Inaugurating and laying foundation stones for 464 development projects worth Rs 525 crore in Kushinagar, Yogi said he believed that every individual must have freedom to worship. In line with that, he said, Hindus, Christians and Muslims can celebrate their festivals in UP peacefully under BJP govt.He claimed that under SP govt, there were bans on Durga Puja celebrations, Janmashtami, and even Holi, while temple funds were misappropriated. On the other hand, every BJP MLA has undertaken beautification of 8-10 temples in their constituencies, the CM added.Describing the changes in Kushinagar after BJP came to power, the CM said the region was earlier backward and known for encephalitis and migration. With sustained and planned effort, BJP govt carried out a massive campaign against encephalitis, strengthened health services and ensured cleanliness and vaccinations.Yogi accused the opposition of only doing politics in the name of the poor but giving them nothing, like the Musahar community which had been deprived of basic facilities for years. “Our govt connected such families with the mainstream, provided them with houses, land pattas, Ayushman Bharat health cards, free ration, gas connections and electricity connections, which gave them a sense of dignity, security and confidence,” he said.He added that work was progressing rapidly on several important projects to give Kushinagar a new identity in the fields of connectivity, tourism, agriculture and employment.“Preparations are underway to connect Kushinagar International Airport with Jewar and Gaya. Air services from here will be expanded once new aircraft become available. In the Khadda area, a new bridge has been constructed over the Narayani River at a cost of about Rs 800 crore, while the proposal for widening the Ramkola-Kasaya road will also be approved soon,” the CM said.Outlining other projects, Yogi said an agriculture and technology university has been established in Kushinagar, where admissions will begin from this academic session. The foundation stone of a tissue culture lab has been laid to promote banana production. Investment and employment are now no longer limited only to western UP, he said, but were being brought into Purvanchal and Bundelkhand as well.In addition to this, govt was also working to preserve the state’s cultural and religious heritage, he said.
