'One District, One Mafia' had become UP's identity before 2017, says CM Yogi
Digital Desk | Lucknow, Sep 8 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said the situation in the state before 2017 was marked by poor law and order, widespread criminal activities, and the dominance of mafia elements, with 'One District, One Mafia' becoming its identity. Addressing the two-day 'UP Textile Conclave-2026', the Chief Minister welcomed entrepreneurs, investors, exporters, traditional weavers, handloom operators, industry representatives, and young people associated with the textile sector. First of all, I extend a heartfelt welcome and greetings to all the distinguished entrepreneurs, investors and exporters from the textile sector across the country, as well as traditional weavers, handloom operators, all the dignitaries and young friends who see their future in this sector, he said. Highlighting Uttar Pradesh's long-standing textile traditions, the Chief Minister said the state's textile heritage had historical links with India's cultural and economic development. He said that when gifts of clothing were presented by the King of Kashi at Yudhishthira's Rajasuya Yagya, ancient texts such as the Mahabharata made references to silk and pure cotton garments. Also referring to the period of Lord Ram's exile, he said religious scriptures mention Mata Janaki receiving divine garments at a sage's ashram. The textiles produced in India, particularly those made in Uttar Pradesh, were not only in demand in India but also in markets around the world, he said. If you look at Roman culture or Greek culture, there was a huge demand there as well for these textiles made in India and Uttar Pradesh. This means that the tradition of sending these products from here to other places existed even then, the Chief Minister said. He also highlighted several major textile and manufacturing centres across the state, including Varanasi's silk sarees, Bhadohi's carpets, Lucknow's chikankari, and Kanpur's textile, leather, and industrial manufacturing ecosystem. CM Adityanath also mentioned Agra's footwear and allied manufacturing sector, Sitapur's textile manufacturing capabilities, and Meerut's sports goods industry and the potential for technical textiles. These are not merely textile clusters of Uttar Pradesh. They represent different facets of Uttar Pradesh's textile heritage and industrial capabilities. These different facets visible across different regions draw our attention to the potential of the textile sector in Uttar Pradesh, he said. Recalling the situation in Uttar Pradesh before 2017, Adityanath claimed the state's law and order situation was in disarray and alleged that mafia groups had established parallel systems of governance in several districts. Friends, what the situation in Uttar Pradesh was like before 2017 is not hidden from anyone. Law and order in the state was in disarray, he said. In every district, a parallel government run by the mafia operated. In other words, 'One District, One Mafia' had become the identity of Uttar Pradesh. Across the state, the industries of murder, extortion, illegal occupation, goon tax, and kidnapping were flourishing. Professional mafias and goons operated their own system parallel to the government, he claimed. He further alleged that the prevailing environment had affected the safety of women, traders and potential investors. At that time, neither daughters were safe, nor traders were safe. Investors would come from outside with dreams of doing business and return with a slip of paper from the mafia demanding payment, Adityanath claimed. The Chief Minister also alleged that festivals and celebrations could not be conducted peacefully because of frequent disturbances and riots. No festival or celebration could be held peacefully. In other words, disturbances would begin before the festivities. Across the state, there would be a major riot every third day, with the entire state engulfed in the flames of riots. Major riots took place in Bareilly, Kosi Kalan in Mathura, Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur on a large scale, he said. He said prolonged curfews and the closure of educational institutions and markets had a direct impact on economic activity. Curfews would remain in place for months. Schools and colleges would be closed. If there was a curfew, the markets would remain closed, and if the markets remained closed, business would inevitably come to a standstill. People could not even leave their homes. And when such a situation exists, the economy cannot move forward. A perception had taken hold, the Chief Minister said. He said Uttar Pradesh had also acquired a negative perception because of poor infrastructure and inadequate lighting in several areas. I always mention this point: before 2017, Uttar Pradesh had come to be perceived as a place where, once the roads became bad and darkness began as soon as evening arrived, you could assume that you had entered the borders of Uttar Pradesh. This was the situation in Uttar Pradesh before 2017, he said.
Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 8 (IANS) Actress Soni Razdan paid a heartfelt tribute to legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle on her birth anniversary. Taking to social media, she celebrated the enduring legacy of one of Indian cinemas most iconic voices. Marking the special occasion, Soni shared a tribute to Asha Bhosle and unveiled Ae Meri Zindagi,' a song that celebrates the warmth and timeless appeal of the veteran singers unforgettable voice. For the caption, she wrote, On her birth anniversary today - we pay a tribute to #AshaBhosle ji and a voice that will always be remembered. Presenting Ae Meri Zindagi, a song that carries the warmth of her unforgettable voice, on her birth anniversary #OmKaHari in cinemas on 18th September. #BaapVsBeta #FatherVsSon. The songs video features Asha Bhosle in a blue saree as she puts on her headphones and lends her iconic voice to the track. The glimpse beautifully captures the legendary singer in her element, making the song a special tribute to her timeless musical legacy. Ae Meri Zindagi is a song from the upcoming film Om Ka Hari, which stars Raghubir Yadav, Anshuman Jha, Soni Razdan, Ayesha Kapur, and Samta Sudiksha. The film centres on a retired astrologer who, following a health scare, becomes convinced that he has just six days left to live. Determined to make amends, he sets out on a journey to Varanasi in the hope of reconnecting with his estranged son. The film was also screened at several international film festivals under the title Hari Ka Om, including the Indisches Film Festival Stuttgart and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Om Ka Hari is slated to hit theatres on September 18. For the unversed, Asha Bhosle passed away on April 12, 2026, at the age of 92 in Mumbai. Across a remarkable career that spanned over eight decades, she lent her voice to thousands of songs in several languages. Her demise was mourned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with members of the Hindi film industry, who paid heartfelt tributes to her remarkable contribution to Indian music and cinema.
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Chitrakoot (UP), Sep 6 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday visited Chitrakoot district and took stock of the situation in flood-affected areas and reviewed relief and rehabilitation measures undertaken by the administration. He ordered authorities to provide immediate relief materials, as well as a new residence, to those affected by the flood. Addressing the gathering, CM Yogi said: I have come today to assure all of you that in this hour of disaster, you are not alone. Whether it is an ordinary family, a trader, a math, a temple, or the ghats -- whatever loss anyone has suffered, the government will make arrangements to provide support and assist everyone. If a poor person's home is affected by floods or fire, if someone's home is affected, their entire house burns down, or gets washed away in the flood, if they are eligible under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, give them a home under that, or else under the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana, immediately provide a new house and land lease document. The Chief Minister also accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) of aking away the money meant for flood-relief measures. Before 2017, whenever floods occurred, the then government would not even take notice. The Samajwadi Party government would allegedly misappropriate the relief funds, leaving the poor, vulnerable and deprived without adequate assistance. If someone raised a strong objection, they were reportedly given only dry bread, he claimed. Contrasting the situation under the current BJP-led state government, CM Yogi said: Now, the government has taken a firm stand on flood relief. When we came to power in 2017, I visited flood-affected areas to inspect the relief efforts and asked what assistance was being provided to affected families. I was told that dry bread was being distributed. I asked the administration if they could continue with dry bread. I ordered them to provide a flood kit with all the necessary materials to the flood victims. The Chief Minister distributed relief material among 800 families affected by the recent floods. He also provided land allocation certificates to families rendered homeless by the disaster, enabling them to secure land for residential use. In addition, eligible flood-affected families received financial assistance from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to help them recover from flood losses. On Saturday, CM Yogi visited Varanasi and inspected the flood-affected areas of the city. He also conducted an aerial survey of the impacted areas in the district.
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Patna, Sep 6 (IANS) The flood situation in Bihar remained serious on Sunday as rising water levels in several rivers affected nearly 16.85 lakh people (1.685 million) across 11 districts of the state, even as relief and rescue operations are being carried out continuously by the administration in the affected areas. According to official figures, the flooding has affected 61 blocks and 300 gram panchayats across 11 districts. Authorities have intensified relief measures to provide food, shelter and other essential assistance to people impacted by the floods. As part of the ongoing relief operations, 80 community kitchens are currently functioning in the flood-affected districts. So far, around 1.21 lakh people have been provided meals through these centres. In addition, one relief camp is operational, providing accommodation, food, medical assistance, and other essential facilities to 326 flood-affected people. To provide immediate relief to affected residents, authorities have distributed around 45,900 polythene sheets and 11,700 dry ration packets so far. To facilitate the evacuation and movement of people in flood-hit areas, a total of 1,158 boats are currently being operated across the state. In view of the possibility of further flooding, 27 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams and seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in different districts to undertake rapid relief and rescue operations. According to Water Resources Department data recorded between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Sunday, the Ganga remained above the danger mark at several major locations in Bihar. At Buxar, the Ganga was recorded 0.08 metres above the danger mark, although the water level was showing a declining trend. At Dighaghat in Patna, the level was 1.54 metres above the danger mark, while at Gandhighat, it was 1.96 metres above and at Hathidah, 1.74 metres above the danger mark. The water level at Gandhighat was stable, while Hathidah recorded a rising trend. At Munger, the Ganga was 0.51 metre above the danger mark and continued to rise. At Sultanganj, the level was 2.01 metres above the danger mark, while at Bhagalpur it was 0.65 metres above it. The river also remained above the danger mark at Kahalgaon. Meanwhile, in Prayagraj and Varanasi, the Ganga remained below the warning level. The water level was rising in Prayagraj, while a declining trend was recorded in Varanasi. Barrage discharge data showed that at 9 a.m. on September 6, the Sone Barrage at Indrapuri was releasing 2,27,739 cusecs of water, with the flow showing a declining trend. The Kosi Barrage at Birpur recorded a discharge of 1,68,400 cusecs, which remained stable. The Gandak Barrage at Valmikinagar was releasing 1,29,000 cusecs, with the discharge also reported to be stable. Meanwhile, the Bihar Meteorological Service Centre has forecast light to moderate rainfall at several places across the state over the next two days. Heavy rainfall is also possible at some locations. In view of the possibility of further rainfall and a corresponding rise in river water levels, authorities have been kept on alert to undertake relief and rescue operations. The state government and district administrations are closely monitoring the situation in flood-affected areas, with relief materials, boats and rescue teams being deployed as required.
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UP CM Yogi to visit Varanasi today; conduct review of flood situation
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