Launching a scathing attack on the Opposition parties, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that those parties had kept Uttar Pradesh backward for decades and appealed to the people to rise above caste divisions, reject dynastic parties, and ensure a resounding victory with an overwhelming mandate for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the development of the state.
Addressing a gathering at the inauguration of the UP Diwas celebrations at Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow, Shah said, “The dynastic parties — whether Congress, Samajwadi Party or Bahujan Samaj Party — cannot ensure welfare in Uttar Pradesh. Welfare can be ensured only by the BJP. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the state, every possibility of development in UP has been unlocked, and efforts have been made to give the best to the state.”
Recalling 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2022, Shah urged the people to once again support the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections next year.
“In the upcoming elections, I appeal to every voter of Uttar Pradesh to rise above caste divisions, reject these dynastic parties, and once again make the BJP’s lotus bloom,” he said.
The Union Minister felicitated several eminent personalities with the ‘Uttar Pradesh Gaurav Samman’ for their contributions in different fields. The awardees included Group Captain and astronaut Subhanshu Shukla, educational YouTuber Alakh Pandey, Lakshmi Arya, agriculture scientist Sudhanshu Singh and poet Dr Hariom Panwar.
Shah said the awards will encourage talented individuals to excel in their respective fields.
Calling Uttar Pradesh the “heartbeat and soul of India”, Shah said the Rashtra Prerna Sthal, dedicated to Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is going to become a centre of national awakening and guide the nation for decades.
Shah also launched the ‘One District, One Cuisine’ (ODOC) initiative, aimed at giving a distinct identity to the traditional food and beverages in each district, on the lines of the state’s flagship ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) programme.
Talking about the ODOP scheme, Shah said it has emerged as a major source of livelihood for youth and women while helping promote Uttar Pradesh’s traditional cuisine and products at a global level.
“Today, Uttar Pradesh has become the food basket of the country. Over the last three years, the state’s agricultural growth rate has been 17 percent, and it contributes 20 percent to India’s total foodgrain production,” Shah said.
Launching the ‘Sardar Patel Industrial Area Scheme’, Shah said, “The Sardar Patel Industrial Area, named after Iron Man Sardar Patel, will prove to be crucial in making Uttar Pradesh a one-trillion-dollar economy.”
Shah said that the foundation stone for six zones has been laid on Saturday for the first phase of the scheme. “For the second phase, six more zones will be inaugurated, and the foundation stone for 30 zones will be laid for the third phase.”
The Union Minister said once called a labour source state, Uttar Pradesh is now the country’s fourth-largest economy, and has become India’s food basket, ranks first in ethanol production, recorded significant growth in agriculture, manufacturing, electronics and IT exports, and has received investment proposals worth Rs 45 lakh crore, of which projects worth Rs 15 lakh crore have already been implemented on the ground.
He also said that there has been a major improvement in the law and order situation in the state, with a sharp decline in dacoity (94 per cent) and robbery (82 per cent), and attributed it to the double-engine government.
Referring to the construction of the Ayodhya Ram temple and the organisation of the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Shah said that these events have taken the glory of Sanatan Dharma to the global platform.
Shah said that the foundation stone for six zones has been laid on Saturday for the first phase of the scheme. 
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