Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that Azamgarh, which was known for radicalisation during Samajwadi Party rule, will now be known for education.
The Union Home Minister along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday laid the foundation stone of a state university in Azamgarh and later addressed a public rally.
The Chief Minister, who has been criticised in the past over the spree to rename places in the state, today went on to suggest a name change for the Lok Sabha constituency - "Aryamgarh".
Hitting out at Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son, Yogi Adityanath stepped up the attack: "Azamgarh may have given two former Chief Ministers or sent them to the Lok Sabha but because of them, the identity of Azamgarh has always been lowered. Before 2014, a person from Azamgarh had problems in even getting a hotel room anywhere in the country... such was the identity crisis."
"There has been a demand to rename Azamgarh to Aryamgarh," the Chief Minister added.
While speaking at the public rally, Shah said, "Azamgarh was known for radicalisation during the Samajwadi Party rule. Now, Azamgarh will be known for education." The Union Minister suggested that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath name the university being built in Azamgarh after Maharaja Suheldev.
"Azamgarh is witnessing transformation under Yogi government and Mafia-raj has ended under CM Yogi Adityanath," Amit Shah said.
Amit Shah on Saturday targeted the Samajwadi Party, alleging it stands for "Jinnah, Azam Khan and Mukhtar (Ansari)", and asserted that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has rid the Purvanchal region of "mosquitoes and mafias".
"BJP gave the people 'JAM' - Jandhan, Aadhar and Mobile- but the SP people say they have also brought 'JAM' - Jinnah, Azam Khan and Mukhtar (don-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari)," Shah said addressing a rally in Azamgarh, an SP bastion represented by party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lok Sabha.
"You should tell me whether you want BJP's JAM or SP's JAM. These people can never work for the welfare of Uttar Pradesh. They indulge in dividing people on the basis of caste, causing riots, appeasement and vote-bank politics," Shah said.
As the election season is approaching, Akhilesh Yadav is seeing greatness in Mohammad Ali Jinnah, he said referring to the Pakistan founder.
"There are so many people from the minority community here, is there anyone here who sees greatness in Jinnah," Shah said.
Akhilesh Yadav has drawn flak for his statement in which he equated Muhammad Ali Jinnah with Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, saying they helped India get freedom.
Shah said Chief Minister Adityanath has ensured the migration of mafias from Azamgarh and other parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Yogi Adityanath has "'freed Purvanchal (eastern UP) of mosquitoes and mafias'', he said.
