Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday warned of strict action against not only criminals but also those protecting and sheltering them, saying they retard the state's progress.
"The patrons of criminals want to hinder the development of the state. The time has come now for taking strict action against not only criminals but also their patrons so that the crime and criminals both could be kept in check," Yogi said while addressing a public meeting in Etawah after inaugurating Central Jail.
"During earlier governments, the benefits of government schemes were limited to a family. The mafia elements used to eat into the rights of the people but for me, 25 crore people of the state are my family and the benefits of government schemes are directly reaching them," he said.
CM Yogi further alleged that the public money earlier was spent on constructing boundary walls of graveyards, the chief minister said the same money now is used on people's welfare and the state's development.
Yogi also gave an account of the benefits of different schemes extended to the people of Etawah. He also inaugurated the newly built Central jail which can lodge up to 2,000 prisoners. It was built for Rs 272.31 lakh.
Earlier in when CM Yogi was asked about the law and order in the state, he said, "When the BJP came to power in 2017, law and order in the state was in a bad shape, but today, the state has the privilege of being the best state in the country in terms of the said situation.
He also claimed that the state saw no riots in the four and a half years of the BJP-rule. All festivals, including Diwali, were celebrated peacefully.