Chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Thursday that ‘Sanatan’ had stood firm in the face of attacks by foreign invaders, maintaining its continuity and capacity to rebuild.
Places such as Mathura, Ayodhya and Kashi, he said, were the biggest examples of how invaders could destroy temples but could not harm traditions, with festivals continuing despite such attacks.
“This is the power of ‘Sanatan’ and ‘bhakti’. Traditions continued and ‘Sanatan’ stood strong during testing times. “For long, development was seen as being related to roads, electricity, water supply, industries and buildings, while ‘virasat’ (heritage) was insulted in the name of ‘vikas’ (development). The memories of our heroes were erased. Foreign invaders demolished the pride of our heritage and the British continued with this policy. “Now, sites in Mathura are shining with development. It was a difficult time for this region. We need to promote tourism, attract more investment and ensure the growth of all sections of society. “This year, five crore Kanwariyas travelled on the route from Ghaziabad to Haridwar during Sawan.
He also distributed financial assistance of ₹ 72 crore to beneficiaries of various government schemes and inaugurated the Shri Swami Haridas Auditorium, a cultural centre. “In Ayodhya, Babur destroyed the Ram temple in 1528 and created a structure of slavery, but could not stop the celebration of Ram Navami or the tradition of parikrama. But could anyone have thought about such development before 2017? In June 2016, the Jawahar Bagh incident took place in Mathura, in which 29 people, including two police officers, were killed as anarchy prevailed. “In 2025, 156 crore tourists came to Uttar Pradesh, and this is changing the state through better connectivity and infrastructure. As many as 66 crore devotees attended the Mahakumbh and made the whole world aware of our capability to use technology to organise such grand events,” the chief minister said.
Saints like Swami Haridas created a wave in favour of ‘Sanatan’ through their music,” the chief minister said. The outcome is the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, reminding us of the ancient period,” the Chief Minister said. The previous regime in the country crossed all limits,” Adityanath said. How can one talk of development or preserving heritage in such a scenario of anarchy and lawlessness?” the chief minister said. But for this, we need good law and order, which is the prime requirement for better tourism, investment and overall progress,” the chief minister said.
