Adityanath pays homage to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on his birth anniversary

Lucknow, Sep 25 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday paid homage to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on his birth anniversary by garlanding his statue at the Deendayal Upadhyay Smritika near KKC College in Charbagh.

In his address, Yogi emphasized that it was Upadhyaya’s visionary leadership that brought villages, the underprivileged, farmers and women to the forefront of political agendas across parties.

“Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was the pioneer of Antyodaya, a profound thinker, philosopher and one of the founding leaders of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. The principles that Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya introduced to Indian politics 60-70 years ago continue to resonate in Indian democracy today as reflected in numerous programs initiated by political parties,” he said.

During the event, the chief minister inducted five new members into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as part of its membership drive.

Stating that Upadhyaya’s ideology focused on uplifting villages, the poor, farmers, marginalized sections of society and women, guiding them toward self-reliance, Adityanath said the former believed that true economic progress is not reflected by the prosperity of the elite, but by the upliftment and well-being of those at the bottom of society.

“The vision Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya introduced to Indian politics 70 years ago remains as relevant today as ever. This vision is evident in the significant strides made since the COVID-19 pandemic when 80 crore people were given free ration, 12 crore households gaining access to toilets, 10 crore families benefiting from free Ujjwala Yojana gas cylinders, four crore poor receiving homes and 12 crore farmers benefiting from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi,” Adityanath said.

This reflected a commitment to holistic development, aiming to uplift society through cultural progress and the nation’s overall growth, he added.

Adityanath said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, this vision has been brought to life over the past decade, paving the way for a new India.

The BJP, the world’s largest political party, has chosen to commemorate Pandit Upadhyaya’s birth anniversary as the day to launch its membership campaign, he said commending the Lucknow Mahanagar team for their ambitious goal of enrolling 100 members at every booth.

The chief minister echoed Modi’s belief that elections are won not at the district, parliamentary or assembly level, but at the booth level.

“The booth is the Kurukshetra of elections. Winning the booth means winning the election. A strong booth ensures victory,” he said.

Adityanath enrolled five new members into the BJP as part of the ongoing membership drive.

He expressed confidence that the targets set by the BJP at the national, state and booth levels will be easily met by the party’s dedicated workers.

So far, the city of Lucknow has successfully added 2,52,494 new members.