Lucknow, April 18 (IANS) Days after gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were gunned down by three youth while in police custody in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday that no mafia or criminal can threaten industrialists in the state anymore.
The Chief Minister said: "Before 2017, the state was infamous for riots. More than 700 riots rocked the state between 2012 and 2017. But not a single riot broke out after 2017. Earlier, just the names of many districts scared people. Now there is no need to be scared.
"Few years back, there was a crisis for the identity of the state... Today the state is becoming a crisis for criminals. No criminal can threaten any businessman in the state any more."
Adityanath was addressing a programme to mark the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up textile parks in Lucknow and Hardoi districts. The textile parks are being set up under the PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) scheme.
Ashish is the main accused in the incident wherein a vehicle belonging to the Union minister allegedly mowed down four farmers during a protest against the now-repealed agricultural laws. Two BJP workers and a driver were beaten to death, while a local journalist was killed in the violence that ensued.
Chairing a meeting with industrialists here to solicit their views on draft industrial policy, the Chief Minister said it would serve the twin motives as it would give impetus to industrial development on one hand and open new vistas of employment for rural youth on the other.
"Three passengers were placed under arrest for carrying 1,872 grams gold dust concealed in specially designed undergarments whereas 2,840 grams was recovered during rummaging the flight's toilet," a Customs official said.
After a preliminary probe by the Crime Branch, the prosecution informed the court that around Rs 21 crores is missing, of which the Corporation alone has lost around Rs 10 crores. The fraud has been detected at the Railway Station Link Road branch of PNB.
The All-Party meet on India's G-20 Presidency was a productive one. I thank all leaders who participated in the meeting and shared their insights. This Presidency belongs to the entire nation and will give us the opportunity to showcase our culture.
Out of 23 districts of Punjab, the five hotspot districts with maximum number of crop burning events during the current year are Sangrur, Bhatinda, Firozpur, Muktsar and Moga, recording a total of 21,882 fire counts, which is 43.83 per cent of total fire counts during current year.
