Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday termed the governments formed before the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh "casteist", and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi works for everyone's welfare.
Addressing an election meeting in Bareilly's Aonla, Mr. Shah said that as BJP president in 2017 he had promised his party would end "gundaa raj' in Uttar Pradesh.
The Yogi Adityanath government has kept the promise, he claimed. "Mafias are not visible in Uttar Pradesh. Azam Khan, Atiq Ahmed and Mukhtar Ansari are in jail," he said, warning if Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav becomes the Chief Minister, he would release them.
Training guns at the Opposition parties, Mr. Shah said, "The previous governments of Uttar Pradesh were casteists. When the SP (Samajwadi Party) came (to power), work was done for one caste. When the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) was in power, then work was done for the other caste. Modi ji did development for all and worked for all castes with the 'sabka saath, sabka vishvaas' (mantra)." "When the SP or BSP was in power, mafia was ruling the roost in the State. Narendra Modi ji and Yogi ji have sent them to jail," he added.
At another election meeting in Tilhar of Shahjahanpur, Mr. Shah said the BJP has put an end to caste politics in Uttar Pradesh.
Mr. Shah said SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has lost sleep after the first round of polling and the BJP has paved the way for getting 300-plus seats in Uttar Pradesh.
"Akhilesh Yadav asks what has been done in Uttar Pradesh. I want to tell him that the BJP has reinstated the rule of law and maintained law and order in the State. We have reduced all crimes and removed the rule of goons and mafia in the State," he added.
Accusing the Samajwadi Party of being a family-owned party, Mr. Shah said the youth of the State have no place in the SP, whereas in the BJP, anyone can become a leader.
"We have promised to double the income of every citizen in Uttar Pradesh. We will bring investments of ₹10 lakh crore to the State to generate employment," he added.
Attacking the Congress, Mr. Shah said, "The Congress was in power for over 60 years but nothing was done for the poor. Nothing was done by the governments of Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh. But Narendra Modi has distributed free gas cylinders to women and built free toilets for them."
"The BJP will give free scooters to girl students joining higher education institutes in Uttar Pradesh and waive electricity bills of farmers," he said.
Hitting out at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mr. Shah said, "Earlier, our soldiers were beheaded in Jammu and Kashmir but 'Mauni Baba' Manmohan Singh remained quiet. But Modi ji carried out a surgical strike and sent a clear message to the world." Mr. Shah said the BJP also built memorials for freedom fighters to honour their sacrifices.
The Home Minister was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Suresh Khanna, Jitin Prasada and other senior leaders of the party.
Salona Kushwaha is the BJP's candidate from the Tilhar seat.
