The BJP government, however, has made the state free from mafias and disorder, he claimed.
Addressing a programme in Firozabad where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones of 81 development projects worth over Rs 658 crore, Adityanath said the previous governments promoted division and criminal elements, while the present government was working on development and welfare schemes.
"The agenda of the Samajwadi Party was never development. Its agenda was to divide society, weaken social harmony, encourage hooliganism, stop work for the poor, create hurdles in development projects and turn festivals into disturbances," he alleged.
"Remember what the situation was before 2017. Today, the double-engine BJP government is running schemes like one district, one medical college, one district, one product and one district, one cuisine, while the Samajwadi Party had 'one district, one mafia'. Every district had an identified mafia who created an atmosphere of fear, grabbed houses and land of the poor through their associates, carried out extortion and occupied government land," he alleged.
The chief minister further said, "Today I am happy to say that our state is now free from mafias, free from criminals and free from disturbances. The curfew and riots that used to happen earlier are no longer there. Today in Uttar Pradesh, everything is peaceful and festivals are being celebrated." Targeting the opposition parties further, he said, "These people from the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party were used to living in darkness because their activities were carried out effectively in the dark.That is why they never wanted electricity to come. They used to keep the poor deprived." Unlike his past speeches wherein he slammed SP and Congress only, Adityanath, hit out at the BSP also this time.
Adityanath said under the BJP government, around 15 crore poor people were getting free ration, 10 crore people had received health insurance cover under Ayushman Bharat, 65 lakh poor families had been provided houses, two crore people had received free LPG connections and nearly 1.5 crore families had got free electricity connections.
He said the Rs 658 crore projects announced for Firozabad were part of the development initiatives being undertaken under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Development comes when people take the right decision and press the right button on the EVM. When BJP MLAs reach Lucknow carrying the lotus symbol, development comes in return," he said.
The chief minister praised Firozabad's glass industry, saying local artisans had transformed the sector through innovation and technology.
"Earlier, during festivals like Holi, Diwali and Dussehra, products made in China used to dominate the markets. But Firozabad's artisans adopted new technology, understood market demand and started producing accordingly. Today, people proudly say that these beautiful glass items are made by the artisans of Firozabad," he said.
He also highlighted government support to the glass industry, saying pollution control inspections were streamlined, gas supply was ensured and industries were encouraged to adopt cleaner technologies.
Adityanath said Firozabad was also emerging as a centre of tourism and cultural identity, referring to the district's initiatives related to local products and heritage.
He said the government would continue to support artisans, workers and entrepreneurs and ensure that Uttar Pradesh's journey of development and heritage continued.
