Yogi Adityanath: For the first time, investments will not be restricted to Lucknow, NCR, but be seen in all 75 districts

Adityanath: In the past five years, we have changed the perception about UP and presented it before the country and the world as a development-oriented and leading state. I am happy that every citizen in UP has removed the factors which were barriers in the development of the state, or in them realising their own identity. This is going to play a big role in UP becoming the biggest economy in the country.

We have also paid attention to law and order and infrastructure, presented a model of good governance and carried out reforms.

The ground that has been prepared is being used to bring happiness to UP’s 25 crore people, create lakhs of jobs and present UP as an ideal destination for investment.

Your government is making preparations for the Global Investors’ Summit-2023 (to be held February 10-12) on a grand scale. Road shows were held across the country as well as abroad. What are your expectations from the summit, and is there a road map after that?

Adityanath: Last time (the previous summit), we had set a goal of investments equal to the annual state budget. This time we have set a goal of getting investments more than the state GDP. We are sure of achieving this goal.

“I am happy that every citizen in UP has removed the factors which were barriers in the development of the state, or in them realising their own identity,’ says Yogi Adityanath. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

During the road shows, which sector drew the maximum interest among investors?

Adityanath: UP is a state of opportunities. We have identified 25 sectors where these opportunities can be implemented on the ground to create employment in villages and districts. Policies have been formed in this regard. Major reforms have been made for ease of doing business… We have used technology to provide on-line platforms like Nivesh Mirta portal, which is the single biggest such platform in the country, and will monitor every Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed. An Incentive Monitoring System (IMS) will provide incentive information online.

I am happy that where no one wanted to come (for investment) six years back, in the same UP, every big investor and industrialist of the world and country wants to invest now… It was the first time teams from UP went across the world to draw investment. Now, not only in IT and ITMS (Information Technology Management System), we will have works in the sectors of bio-fuel, renewable energy, electric vehicles, food processing, new age technology. Investors have shown interest in each of the 25 sectors, like education, medical and health.

What steps has the government taken to ensure that the MoUs translate into projects on the ground?

Adityanath: We have experience of the past. When we organised investors’ summit in February 2018, MoUs worth Rs 4.68 lakh crore were signed. We were successful in executing investments of around Rs 4 lakh crore… Certainly, Covid-19 was a barrier… we had to execute tasks virtually. Despite all that, three grand ground-breaking ceremonies were organised… including for a data centre, a production facility for Samsung’s display units, PepsiCo’s biggest food processing centre, Unilever’s unit. Likewise, other investments are being executed across the state.

Have investors’ summits organised in districts too seen a response, resulted in proposals?

Adityanath: It is the first time that investments will not be restricted to Lucknow and NCR, but will be made in all 75 districts.

Does this include backward districts of Eastern UP and Bundelkhand regions?

Adityanath: Investment is going to be seen in all 75 districts of the state.

Your government used bulldozers to bring down illegal structures owned by the mafia, as a measure to instill a sense of the rule of the law among people. But now these are deployed even against those accused of petty or other crimes. Is the government concerned about such use of bulldozers?

Adityanath: Whatever action has been taken in UP, it was completely as per the law. Any action in the future too will be as per the law. No one will be allowed to play around with the law.

Bulldozers have surfaced now during your campaign rallies in UP and other states. Do you like being referred to as ‘bulldozer baba’?

Adityanath: I am a yogi, I live the life of a yogi, and will live as a yogi in the future too.

The UP government recently conducted a survey of madrasas. What prompted this, and what have been the key findings of the survey? What are the plans for the approximately 8,449 or so madrasas found running without recognition of the state madrasa education board?

Adityanath: The objective was that our centres of education should help the children achieve economic self-reliance and make them competent citizens, and hence (we needed) to find out what was needed for modernisation of education in the madrasas… Religious education is fine for religious practices but how much does that help in life, livelihood, employment… they too must think about that. The government wants science, mathematics and other modern subjects to be taught so that we can provide (the students) vast scope for growth.

On being asked about the government using bulldozers to bring down illegal structures owned by the mafia, Adityanath says, “Whatever action has been taken in UP was completely as per the law.” (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Plus, if you are running an institution, you must fulfill certain norms. Otherwise, how will you get recognition? Those who do not have recognition, they can apply and fulfill the norms, which are minimum requirements – infrastructure, faculty, qualified teachers…

Is the government also probing the source of funding of some of the madrasas?

Adityanath: Any type of anarchy or tendency towards security breach will not be accepted in the state.

At a rally during the 2022 Assembly polls in UP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised a new policy to tackle stray cattle. One year later, there seems to be little movement on that.

Adityanath: The cattle do not belong to the government, but to the pashupalak (cattle-rearers) and those associated with farming. If the government takes away these cattle forcibly, people raise objections… Still, we have started three schemes. One is building cowsheds for stray cattle (nirashtrit go-ashray sthal) in every district, where the administration takes care of the animals. There are over 10 lakh cattle in such cowsheds now. Under another scheme, sahbhagita yojana, a farmer is handed over four cattle heads each from these cowsheds. The government gives them Rs 900 a month per cattle head to take care of them. Around one lakh cattle heads are with farmers under this scheme. We also do physical verification of the animals. Under the third scheme, a malnourished family is provided a milch cow from the cowshed and Rs 900 per month. Over 15,000 cows have been provided to malnourished families. These schemes are running successfully.

Further, we are promoting natural farming, in which only Indian cattle are useful. Natural farming is now being done in an area of more than one lakh hectares. We are also starting a pilot project to improve the breed of cattle so that they give more milk.

The BJP also promised to double the income of farmers by 2022. What progress has UP made in that direction?

Adityanath: In the past six years, sugarcane farmers have been paid Rs 1.95 lakh crore. Sugar mills stayed open even during Covid and we ensured that farmers did not face any problem. There are two-three groups (sugar mills) which are facing their own challenges in making sugarcane payments. We are constantly pressuring them to do so. Other sugar mills have already cleared dues and, in the new crushing season, they are making payments within 10 days… at least 100 of the 120 sugar mills are doing so in UP.

On being asked about which sector drew the maximum interest among investors during the road shows, Adityanath says, “We have identified 25 sectors where these opportunities can be implemented on the ground to create employment in villages and districts.” (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

We also have other programmes for farmers, like in ethanol production and the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.

UP introduced an anti-conversion law two years ago. The maximum cases under it involve marriage, and the conviction rate remains very low. Would you say the law has been effective in its aim of checking alleged ‘love jihad’?

Adityanath: The law is functioning well. Sentences have also been pronounced in some cases… Only making the law is not enough, there is a need to create awareness in society. The government and society should collectively work to stop love jihad and any practice of religious conversion. In any situation, it is not in the interest of a civilised society.

But no government seems to have any such awareness campaigns.

Adityanath: The government’s job is to make the law but the society should also come forward.

The government claims that exports from the state have doubled in the past five years. Which products have the highest demand? And how has your government achieved this?

Adityanath: Our policies of ‘One District, One Product (ODOP)’, promotion of traditional enterprises and connecting them with new technology, their marketing and branding, and promotion for export, have yielded this result. Earlier Moradabad’s brass exports were hardly Rs 2,000 crore. Now brass items worth up to Rs 15,000 crore are being exported. Bhadohi’s carpet industry had broken down due to lack of technology and market. At present, exports of over Rs 7,000 crore are being done from there. The same improvement has been seen in Lucknow’s Chikan works, Varanasi’s silk saris, the glass industry of Firozabad, the hardware market of Aligarh, the crockery trade of Khurja, Meerut’s sports items and Kannuaj’s perfumes.

Neighbouring Uttarakhand has formed an expert committee to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Are there any plans regarding UCC in UP?

Adityanath: UP’s Law Commission is already working on it.

Recently, in Rajasthan’s Jalore, you called the Ayodhya Ram temple a ‘national temple’, and said that there should be a campaign to restore places of worship desecrated in the past. Is any such campaign planned in UP?

Adityanath: I said that Sanatan Dharma is ‘rashtriya (national) dharma’ of the country. This is the truth… I said that the remains of slavery should be abolished. Any prosperous country should not accept those symbols which are barriers in its self-reliance and growth. They should have pride in their heritage, and heritage in India is spiritual, religious, pauranik (mythological). Also, we must express gratitude towards those great personalities who sacrificed themselves during the freedom movement.

Have any such places that require ‘restoration’ been identified in UP?

Adityanath: UP has already moved forward with its programme.

You are a mahant and have an image of being a firebrand pro-Hindutva leader. As CM, do you see this as having been a challenge in maintaining balance among religions and sections?

Adityanath: It is my duty to have dialogue with every one – both as a yogi and as the CM of the state. It is my moral responsibility to communicate with them and respect the sentiments of people of all castes, faiths and religions. I have held dialogues with every one, without any hesitation. It has yielded positive results. UP, which was affected by riots and anarchy six years back, is today the most peaceful state, progressing with a vision of development.

Hindutva believes in uniting everyone. My Hindutva is neither hard nor soft. It is Hindutva. It does not discriminate on caste, faith and religion basis. It adopts the holy spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the whole world is a family) and motivates everyone towards that. Hence, we provide benefits of schemes to everyone. But, at the same time, we do not spare anyone who takes the law into their own hands.

So you think that all sections of society have accepted this mahant as CM?

Adityanath: The poll results show that. Under the guidance and leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the results UP’s public gave in the 2014 (Lok Sabha), 2017 (Assembly), 2019 (LS), 2022 (Assembly) polls… show that positive approach.

Law and order was one issue on which the voters appear to have chosen the BJP in the 2022 Assembly polls. What do you see as your key measures to improve law and order in UP? And what more needs to be done?

Adityanath: UP’s law and order is before the nation, it’s the best… The state has come out of its identity crisis… People have seen the success that the double engine government has achieved.

For three decades, BJP leaders would criticise the late Mulayam Singh Yadav for his action of ordering firing on kar sevaks in Ayodhya, when he was CM. But the Modi government has now given him Padma Vibhushan. What explains this change of heart, as well as the silence of his son Akhilesh Yadav on the matter?

Adityanath: This is badappan (large-heartedness) of the Central government that, without any prejudice, it honoured Mulayam Singh Yadav with the award for his contribution to public service. The Samajwadi Party (SP) should show generosity by expressing its thanks to the Prime Minister and the government. But this cannot be expected from the SP. When they themselves did not give respect to Netaji when he was alive, how can they like this honour coming to him? They should be asked this question.

Opposition parties are once again exploring new alliances and fronts against the BJP. How do you see this panning out before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?

Adityanath: Whether they forge any bandhan (bonding) or gathbandhan (alliance), the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi will again form the government with a thumping majority. The BJP will perform even better than in 2019.

You had led campaigns of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, which was founded by you, on Hindutva issues. Since you became CM, the Vahini has gone quiet. Is it still active?

Adityanath: When their job is complete and the government is working on the programme (that they propagated), I do not think that there is any need for anybody.