U.P. Budget session: Amid slogans, guv lauds govt for Kumbh mgmt, Ramrajya vision
Governor Anandiben Patel faced protests from the opposition during her address on U.P.'s budget session, focusing on Mahakumbh deaths and governance issues.
Go back slogans greeted governor Anandiben Patel as she delivered her address before the joint sitting of two houses of the state legislature on the opening day of the U.P. budget session on Tuesday, lauding the Yogi Adityanath government for efforts on various fronts.
She highlighted management at Prayagraj Mahakumbh-2025, steps to make Uttar Pradesh a trillion-dollar economy and quality of policing creating fear-free environment and bringing vision of Ramrajya closer to reality in this regard.
The issue of Mahakumbh deaths dominated the day’s proceedings. While governor Anandiben Patel lauded the Yogi government for organising the ‘divine’ event the opposition demanded that the government should come out with details about the number of deaths.
The Samajwadi Party members held demonstrations on the issue outside the house as well. They assembled at former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh’s statue at 10 AM and raised anti-government slogans there. Later the SP members reached the Vidhan Sabha Hall and held the protests there too.
A ceremonial welcome though was accorded to the governor on her arrival at the Vidhan Bhawan the opposition members--mainly from the Samajwadi Party--raised go back slogans and displayed placards carrying anti-government slogans when she reached the Vidhan Sabha Hall in a procession to address the joint sitting of the two houses of state legislature.
The governor, who arrived at 11am, had barely begun to speak when the SP members rose from their seats and showed her placards accusing the state government of hiding the truth and demanding that data about number of deaths at Mahakumbh stampede be disclosed.
Other placards focused on problems of farmers and youths, unemployment and ‘failure of the government to keep promises made to the people’. As the opposition members continued to protest in the house, the governor read out probably first and last few pages and left the house at 11.15 PM winding up her 44-page address only in about eight-and-a-half minutes. Her nearly 15-minute presence in the house included the time of playing of the National Anthem twice.
Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey said although the reasons for not reading out the full address were best known to the governor, she probably did not agree with the contents and so did not want to read the address given to her.
Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra ‘Mona’ also said the governor did not read her complete address because she did not want to. When the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly reassembled at 12.30 PM, speaker Satish Mahana read out the address to make it a part of the house’s proceedings.
The governor’s address began with a reference to the Prayagraj Mahakumbh-2025 observing, “This year, my government has had the honour of organising the divine and grand Mahakumbh. Mahakumbh 2025 has set new benchmarks in cleanliness, security and seamless management. The event beautifully showcases a remarkable blend of faith and modernity... So far, over 53 crore devotees have taken a sacred dip in the holy Triveni.”
Referring to the January 29 stampede at the Mahakumbh, she said, “... we are all deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident on Mauni Amavasya, in which some devotees were seriously injured, and a few tragically lost their lives. I extend my humble tributes to these pious souls who departed untimely and express my heartfelt condolences to their bereaved families.”
She also referred to the meeting of state cabinet and the council of ministers at the Mahakumbh on January 22 and said, “Several important decisions were made in the interest of the state during the meeting.”
About efforts to make the state a one trillion USD economy, she observed, “As a result of continuous efforts over the past eight years, the state has received investment proposals worth approximately ₹45 lakh crore, out of which investment proposals exceeding ₹15 lakh crore have already been implemented. Through this, more than 60 lakh youth have been provided jobs, along with employment opportunities for several lakh others.”
“Uttar Pradesh has transformed from a BIMARU state into the growth engine of India’s development,” the governor said. She also made a reference about the GSDP observing, “In the financial year 2023-2024, Uttar Pradesh’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) grew by 13.5 percent, reaching ₹25.63 lakh crore.”