Every community progressing with dignity in BJP rule, says U.P. CM at Dalit conference

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the ‘Scheduled Caste (SC) – Scheduled Tribes (ST) Conference’, in Aligarh district, on Oct. 19, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is moving on the path of “transformation and development” where every community of the Indian society is “progressing with dignity, free from demons of caste, creed, language, religion and region”.

He said this while addressing a Scheduled Caste (SC) conference organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Aligarh. “Under the able leadership of Modi ji, the country has embarked on a successful journey of transformation and development over the past nine and a half years. A new India has emerged… under the theme of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” said Mr. Adityanath in the conference organised at the Numaish Maidan.

The U.P. CM also highlighted the “commitment of the Union and State governments led by the BJP” to the underprivileged sections. “Economic progress should be measured by the advancement of the most depressed and underprivileged. PM Modi is unwavering in his commitment to actualising this vision,” added Mr. Adityanath.

During the event, the U.P. CM inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 208 development projects worth ₹497 crore and distributed certificates to beneficiaries of different Union and State government schemes from the SC and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities. Mr. Adityanath announced that by December this year, 1.25 crore families in U.P. will be given ownership rights of leased land under PM SVAMITVA Yojana.

Mr. Adityanath further said, “Before 2017, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe people suffered from identity crises. Today, under the double-engine [government], these communities do not face such crises. The double-engine government followed the ideas envisioned by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar in letter and spirit with the goal of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat,” said the U.P. CM.

Dalit outreach

This was the second SC conference addressed by the U.P. CM within two days in Western U.P. The region has a sizeable Dalit electorate, which can impact outcomes in at least 10 of the roughly 20 Lok Sabha seats in the region. The BJP had planned six such meetings across the State over 15 days, to be addressed by Mr. Adityanath and other top State BJP leaders. The next conference is scheduled on October 28 in Kanpur, followed by meetings on October 30 in Prayagraj, November 2 in Lucknow, and November 3 in Gorakhpur.