Lucknow: “Humnein mafia ko mitti mein mila diya hai,” said chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday, describing the impact of his govt’s zero tolerance policy towards crime since 2017 that had resulted in better facilities, economic growth and investments in the state.Speaking at the TOI Youth Icon Awards, UP Chapter, organised by The Times of India in Lucknow, the CM said that criminals were now grovelling for leniency, saying that they would happily sell bananas but move away from crime.After the implementation of BJP’s zero tolerance policy towards crime from 2017, UP was no longer identified with ‘one district-one mafia’, he said.Describing the positive changes in UP since 2017, the CM also appealed to the youth to not allow forces, which had forced the previous generation into depression and disappointment, to return to power, using their power of the vote to ensure that the right people were elected.“There was a time when it was difficult for girls to even go to school. In many west UP districts, families were forced to send their daughters to other states to study. Now, girls work without any fear till even 2 am because there is an atmosphere of security,” Yogi said.The CM honoured 37 youth icons from various fields, like sports, entrepreneurship, art, culture, social work and digital creation. He commended TOI for felicitating youth, as this would then inspire lakhs of others to follow their dreams.Among the awardees were 10 sportspersons from UP, including Parul Chaudhary, Raj Kumar Pal and Arjun Deshwal. Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan was recognised as the Youth Icon of the Year, while Himanshu Bajpai won for promoting regional language.The female entrepreneur of the year award went to fashion designer Mili Malhotra while Mayank, the founder of multinational IT firm Adrosonic, was adjudged the male entrepreneur of the year.Yashoda, aka English Dehati, was awarded for Digital Education and Language Learning, Shinjini Kulkarni for Performing Arts and Maroof Culmen for Food and Culture. Abhishek Pandey, district magistrate of Pratapgarh, was recognised for Social Impact.The CM described eight major changes that have happened in UP since 2017, citing how these helped change the state’s image, pushing it from the bottom three economies to the top three. Not only had the state’s economy grown by three times but also per capita income and the state’s budget.He said that UP’s youth had moved away from being job seekers to becoming job givers. “Better security, availability of continuous power supply, sectoral policies, AI and technology and improved infrastructure have improved confidence and brought investment in the state,” he said.“In 2047, by when India will be Viksit Bharat as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the youth and those honoured at this event, will be around 40-45 years old. They will be leading the country. Therefore, they must prepare for the future from now on through their talent and hard work,” the CM said.“In a democracy, voting is not just your right but also your duty. You should vote wisely to ensure that the disappointments that pushed the previous generation into disappointment do not return. Those who spread anarchy, created an unsafe environment, allowed potholes, should not be allowed to return,” he said.The CM also highlighted the importance of India’s democracy, saying that had there been no democracy, it would not have been possible for comedians to crack jokes on stage, for people to make speeches since everything would have been censored. “Freedom of speech within ‘maryada’ is guaranteed for everyone,” he said.
