President Droupadi Murmu says Uttar Pradesh’s holy places focal point of India’s spiritual strength - Hindustan Times
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President Droupadi Murmu says Uttar Pradesh’s holy places focal point of India’s spiritual strength

By, Lucknow
Feb 12, 2023 11:50 PM IST

Our President symbolises ‘women power’, says Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel, CM Yogi Adityanath congratulates Droupadi Murmu on behalf of ‘25 crore people of state’

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday expressed happiness at joining the development story of Uttar Pradesh, which she described as a great state, and said its holy places like Kashi, Ayodhya, Mathura, Sarnath, Gorakhpur and Magahar were the focal point of India’s spiritual strength.

President Droupadi Murmu being greeted in Lucknow by governor Anandiben Patel and UP CM Yogi Adityanath. (HT )
President Droupadi Murmu being greeted in Lucknow by governor Anandiben Patel and UP CM Yogi Adityanath. (HT )

Murmu, who was on her first visit to Lucknow since becoming President, also called for maintaining the purity and sanctity of the rivers flowing through Uttar Pradesh.

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In her address, the President made special mention of the work being done for women empowerment and self-reliance in the state and described the women personalities of Uttar Pradesh as her role models.

She also stressed that economic and social progress should be just and inclusive and said the national priority is to bring all deprived sections of society and women within the ambit of development.

“On my very first visit to Lucknow, I am happy that I was invited to the UP Global Investors Summit and join this great state’s development story,” she said at a civic reception for her at Lok Bhavan, the UP chief minister’s secretariat, in the evening.

“...and through a warm and emotional reception, chief minister Yogi Adityanath made me feel the love of the people of Uttar Pradesh,” she said.

Eminent persons and achievers for different walks of life felicitated the President on the occasion

They gifted ODOP (one district, one product) items to Murmu after Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath felicitated the President.

Linking Lucknow with Lord Ram’s brother Lakshman, the President said that this city had been a part of the ancient ‘Kosala’ district. For a long time, it was known as Lakhanpur.

Remembering former Prime Minister the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, she recalled his statement regarding his association with Lucknow. “Atalji, who was the MP of Lucknow for a long time, had said, ‘Lucknow hum par fida aur hum fida-e-Lucknow, kya hi takat aasmaan ki jo chudhaye Lucknow’,” she said.

Murmu mentioned former chief minister Mayawati and the late Mulayam Singh Yadav among other CMs as contributors to the state.

Expressing happiness over Droupadi Murmu’s first visit to Lucknow as President, chief minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated her on behalf of “25 crore people of the state”.

He said that it is a matter of pride for Indian democracy that “you have given a new height to the respect of half of the country’s population by being born in a family of the tribal society and occupying the highest position of the Republic of India as an ideal Indian woman.”

The chief minister said that Uttar Pradesh was moving towards becoming the best state under the President’s guidance.

Welcoming the President, Governor Anandiben Patel said: “Our country has got such a President, who is a symbol of women power”.

Deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, UP assembly speaker Satish Mahana, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw as well as UP legislative council chairperson Kunwar Manvendra Singh, UP’s parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Khanna and most other UP ministers were present at the felicitation ceremony.

After the civic reception, the governor hosted a dinner for the President. It was attended by several Padma awardees of the state, besides chief minister Yogi Adityanath, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak and several ministers.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Pankaj Jaiswal is Chief of Bureau, Uttar Pradesh and covers politics. His continued interest in rural, distress, and development journalism, fetched him a handful of prestigious awards and fellowships. Pankaj is a photo-journalist too and tweets at @augustus29lotus

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