In what can be described as a historic moment in India and Uttar Pradesh’s history, the Yogi Adityanath government held a cabinet meeting at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Tuesday. It is for the first time that the Uttar Pradesh cabinet meeting took place at Prayagraj on the auspicious occasion of the Kumbh Mela. A number of important decisions were also taken at the cabinet meeting. The cabinet made ‘Uri’, a movie based on the surgical strikes carried out by India on the terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, tax-free. CM Yogi Adityanath said, “There is a movie on the surgical strikes ‘Uri’, the cabinet has decided to exempt it from state GST. This film will instill a feeling of nationalism in the youth and the citizens of the country.”
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath also announced the plans to construct Ganga-Expressway, which will be the longest expressway in the world. Speaking about the expressway, he said, “Cabinet has decided to make Ganga-Expressway, to connect Prayagraj with Western Uttar Pradesh. This will be the world’s longest expressway, approximately 600 km, it will take 6,556 hectares of land, it will cost approximately Rs 36,000 crore.” The 90-km long Gorakhpur Link on the Purvanchal expressway has also been approved. Apart from this, the cabinet welcomed the Centre’s decision to file a petition in the apex court for release of excess land acquired around the disputed site in Ayodhya so that it can be handed over to the Ram Janambhoomi Nyas.
This shows the kind of importance that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attached to the Kumbh Mela. Interestingly, this was also for the first time that a cabinet meeting took place outside the Vidhan Bhavan, the state Assembly in Lucknow. This is bound to go down in the history of the state and even the country as a historic move. It clearly shows that the Uttar Pradesh government deeply and truly respects the largest faith-based congregation in the world, which also forms an intrinsic part of the state’s culture. While a number of politicians, especially those from Uttar Pradesh would visit Prayagraj on this occasion with an eye on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, it is Yogi Adityanath who has actually understood the significance of the Kumbh.
This is not for the first time that he has given such importance to the Kumbh. He had first ensured that sufficient arrangements were made for the congregation. Last year, he spoke about the preparations for the Kumbh and said that it would be for the first Kumbh since independence when pure Ganga water would be available for all the pilgrims. He had added that 12 to 15 crore devotees attend the Kumbh Mela and there is no discrimination in any form against any of the devotees. Shedding light on the importance of Kumbh, he had said that during the Kumbh Mela, people from the entire nation come to Prayagraj without any invitation.
It is clear that despite facing widespread propaganda at the hands of the left-liberal cabal about his Hindu identity, Yogi Adityanath has remained unapologetic about his identity. Kumbh Mela forms an integral part of the state’s culture and it must be appreciated that the state government gave it the importance that it deserved. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has thus sent a very strong and clear message that he is not going to change his way of functioning due to criticism by some motivated elements.
