Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the previous Samajwadi Party government, alleging that its leaders, ministers and even then-chief minister Akhilesh Yadav “bowed down before rioters and criminals” and “sacrificed festivals to riots and lawlessness” under its rule.

Addressing a programme to distribute LPG refill subsidies to beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Adityanath said the BJP government restored peace in the state and ensured that all festivals -- from Diwali to Eid, and Christmas to Ram Navami -- were celebrated peacefully for the past eight-and-a-half years.

“Before 2017, there was no thought beyond one family -- the ‘Saifai’ family. Riots would erupt during festivals, and the excitement of celebrations would be crushed under anarchy. “Goons ran free, and the poor were deprived of the welfare benefits. Ministers and leaders of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and even the chief minister would fall at the feet of mafias and rioters,” Adityanath claimed.

The “double-engine government” of the BJP changed that culture by treating the entire state as one family, he said. “We ended family rule and brought a governance model where no one’s caste, religion, or path is asked before giving benefits (of welfare schemes),” he said.

The Ujjwala subsidy distribution event has been organised to provide free LPG cylinders to 1.86 crore beneficiaries across Uttar Pradesh ahead of Diwali, Adityanath said, calling it “a festival gift” from the state government.

“A total subsidy of Rs 1,500 crore has been released to benefit 1.86 crore people,” he said, in the presence of senior state minister Suresh Khanna and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma.

The state decided in 2021 that Ujjwala beneficiaries would get free LPG cylinders twice a year -- at the time of Holi and Diwali, Adityanath said.

“Festivals are meant to be celebrated collectively, not alone. This initiative is a reflection of our commitment to ease the burden on households,” he said.

Adityanath also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for empowering the poor, saying, “It was only after Modi ji became the prime minister that welfare schemes began reaching the poor without any discrimination. Before 2014, getting an LPG connection required paying a bribe.” More than 11 crore people have received LPG connections under the Ujjwala Yojana nationwide, including 1.86 crore families in Uttar Pradesh, who earlier struggled to cook using wood, coal, cow dung, or kerosene, Adityanath said.