Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hit the campaign trail for the Kairana and Saharanpur Lok Sabha seats on Friday, addressing public gatherings in favour of the NDA candidates contesting the two constituencies.

During his campaign, he lamented that Saharanpur, which had the potential to become the ‘Kashi of the West’, turned into a hotbed of religious fanaticism by previous administrations. He attributed the chaos and anarchy in the constituency to fatwas and made an appeal to the public to be wary of the individuals, who denied the existence of Lord Ram in the Supreme Court and are now chanting his name for electoral gains.

The chief minister said work was underway to confiscate the property of the ancestors of those who are playing with the future of the youth and distribute it among the poor. He emphasised the progress made in rooting out the mafia in Uttar Pradesh, saying, “Kuch mafia jail mein hai, kuch jahannum chale gaye (Some of the mafias are behind bars, while the rest have met their fate).”

In his address at a public meeting in Kairana, he said, “Our government has given riot and curfew-free Uttar Pradesh. We have fostered a peaceful and harmonious environment by suppressing those who incite riots and enforce curfews. Let’s not allow them to thrive again, as they will only foment disturbances again through caste-based politics.”

He further said, “This (the turmoil) poses a threat to the safety of our daughters and the prosperity of our businessmen and hinders development. To transcend this and take action, we must not allow rioters, corrupt individuals, anarchists, and those who endanger the lives of our daughters, mothers, farmers, and youth to thrive again, regardless of their status.”

The chief minister said playing with the future of the youth is unacceptable and warned that anyone who indulges in it would face confiscation of their ancestral property to be distributed among the underprivileged. “The vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is our mission. We would work together with his vision and mission to build a new India,” he asserted.

He urged the public to vote in support of the BJP and Rashtriya Lok Dal’s joint Lok Sabha candidate Pradeep Chaudhary.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while addressing a public gathering in the Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituency, likened the mafia to the mythical demon Raktbeej, stressing that they must not be allowed to thrive again under any circumstances.

He remarked, “Congress and the SP used to capitulate to them, but today, ‘Kuch mafia jail mein hain, kuch jahannum chale gaye’ (Some of the mafia are behind bars, while others have met their fate). Their influence has been completely extinguished.”

He highlighted the clear division in this election between two opposing ideologies. On the one hand, there are those driven by caste divisions, while on the other, there are individuals dedicated to nationalism. “On one hand, there are those who intends to tear apart the social fabric, while on the other, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, there are people who believe in upholding India’s dignity.”

“We have removed the mics and loudspeakers from which they used to shout and cause disturbances. Our country and our religion are our national pride. If they are secure, so are we,” declared CM Yogi.

He remarked that Deoband had become a center of religious fanaticism with fatwas issued on trivial matters, including how vaccines should be administered. “From here, attempts were made to spread chaos and anarchy, with little attention paid to development.”

CM Yogi was addressing an election rally in Deoband on Friday in support of BJP candidate Raghav Lakhan Pal Sharma from Saharanpur Lok Sabha seat.