UP Budget session begins: “Rashtra Mandir” in Ayodhya will strengthen Ram Rajya concept, says guv
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel faced opposition members shouting 'go back' slogans during her address to the legislature. She referred to the Ram temple in Ayodhya as the "Rashtra Mandir" and praised the enshrinement of Ram Lala in the new temple. Despite the opposition's protests, Patel highlighted the achievements of the Yogi government and its commitment to good governance and economic growth. Investment proposals exceeding ₹40 lakh crore were received during the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit-2023.
Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel snubbed the opposition members more than once as they shouted ‘go back’ slogans during her address to the joint sitting of the Uttar Pradesh legislature on the first day of the Budget session on Friday.
Terming the Ram temple in Ayodhya “Rashtra Mandir”, she said the enshrinement of Ram Lala in the new temple was poised to strengthen the concept of Ram Rajya. “Who will go will be known later,” said the governor when the opposition members were shouting “sarkar nahin chalegi” (this government will have to go) slogans.
As the opposition members continued slogan shouting through her 40-page address in Hindi that she read out in 55 minutes, the governor said, “You have been shouting slogans and they have been going up.” It was an obvious indication towards how the Yogi government has retained power. “Uttar Pradesh was a Bimaru state seven years ago,” she said during the address.
“After a wait spanning almost five centuries, on January 22, 2024, the soul of Sanatan Indian culture, our ideal Prabhu Shri Ram Lalla, has been enshrined in his new, grand and divine temple in his birthplace, Ayodhya... The government has achieved notable success in realising the Ram Rajya....” said the governor in her address at the Vidhan Sabha Hall here. She said enshrinement of Ram Lala in new temple was poised to strengthen the concept of Ram Rajya.
The governor began her address with observations ‘2024 has etched indelible mark in the history of India’ and listed achievements of the Yogi government. The opposition members, however, began taking out placards, soon after the governor was seen entering the Vidhan Bhawan at 11am. She was accorded a customary welcome and brought in a procession to the Vidhan Sabha hall.
The opposition members entered the well of the house or rose on their seats raising slogans and continued to do so till the end of her address. The playing of the National Anthem at the beginning and end of the governor’s address was the only time when the slogan shouting stopped.
As the main opposition, the Samajwadi Party has been making efforts for support of Pichda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak (Backwards, Dalits and minorities) , some of the placards read “PDA will defeat the NDA” and “We will win in the country with PDA”. The governor, however, referred to the state government’s commitment to good governance and the zero tolerance policy towards crime and criminals and pointed towards the opposition when she read out welfare measures.
She said in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to elevate the country’s economy to five-trillion dollars, the state government was making efforts to make U.P. a trillion-dollar economy. “... my government is diligently working towards strategically growing the state’s economy to one trillion dollars... measures have been taken across all facets of the economy, encompassing financial and social infrastructure... Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a dream destination for investment in the country,” she said.
About the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit-2023 held from February 10 to 12, 2023 here, she said investment proposals exceeding ₹40 lakh crore had been received from both domestic and international investors. The governor further said this investment would create around 1.10 crore job opportunities and in order to implement these proposals, groundbreaking ceremony will be organised.
