Lucknow: On the seventh day of Navratri, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday invoked Goddess Kalaratri, known for destroying demonic forces and ‘raktabeej’, and said that criminals and mafia under the previous govt were demonic forces which were destroyed by his govt after 2017.The CM said that under the BJP govt, the rule of law has been established in the state.As part of his daily message during the Navratri festival, the CM wrote on social media platform ‘X’: “The divine form of Maa Kalaratri, who destroys demonic forces such as the ‘asuras’ and Raktabeej, establishes dharma and grants fearlessness to devotees, conveys the message that the end of unrighteousness, oppression and terror is the foundation for establishing justice, peace and a fearless society.”He said that before 2017, UP was facing anarchy and terror of the mafia, whom he likened to demons. These rioters and criminals had created a barrier in the progress and security of women. “Under the double-engine govt’s zero-tolerance policy towards crime and criminals over the past 9.5 years, these forces have been suppressed and the rule of law has been established,” Yogi said.“Initiatives such as Mission Shakti, the Integrated 1090 Helpline, women beat policing and the Safe City Project have ensured a safe environment for women, from the threshold of their homes to roads, educational institutions and workplaces. The reduction in police response time from 65 minutes in 2016 to just 5 minutes now is clear evidence of the promptness of law and order enforcement in the state and the govt’s commitment to women’s safety,” the CM wrote.The secure environment in the state gave confidence to women and encouraged them to step out for work, even for night shifts, the CM said. The increase in women’s labour force participation from 12% to more than 36%, he said, was evidence that women had become an economic force and were fuelling UP’s economic development.“The growing participation of women power in various sectors, including agriculture, industry, services and entrepreneurship, has infused new energy into the state’s development journey. This participation is also making an important contribution to the journey of a threefold increase in UP’s Gross State Domestic Product and per capita income,” he said.
