PM Modi is a global icon, works for all without discrimination: Yogi Adityanath in Lok Sabha

Delhi: Two days after taking over as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath made an appearance in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday where he hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called him a global icon.

"Modi government has given us growth. Our Prime Minister is a global development icon," he said. 

"I thank the Finance Minister for breathing new life into our country's economy," he further said and added, "Modi government has helped farmers and has lived up to the expectations of the people of India."

Taking about various people-oriented schemes like the Ujjawala Yojna, Yogi said that the BJP-led government at the Centre was working for all sections of society without any discrimination.

Slamming the Akhilesh Yadav government he said, "In the two and half years, the Centre gave 2.5 lakh funds to Uttar Pradesh but only a fraction of it was used (by Samajwadi Party government)."

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On UP he said, "UP will be the state which our honourable Prime Minister has dreamt of, a corruption-free state, a state free of anarchy. It would be an incident free-state."

"My government will be for everyone, not specifically for any caste or community. We will work for development of all sections and castes and create a new structure of progress," emphasised the CM of the country's largest state.

Yogi said his government in the state will create a "new model" of development under the guidance of PM Modi.

Taking a dig at his opponents he said, "I am younger by one year to Rahul jee and one year older to Akhilesh Yadav. And I came between the two (Gandhi and Akhilesh). This could be a major reason for their failure."

Clad in his typical saffron robes, Yogi was received warmly by the members who thumped the desks as he entered the House sometime after 4.30 pm when a debate was underway on the Finance Bill.

As he entered the House amid chants of 'jai sri Ram', there was a brief interruption in the speech by TDP member Rammohan Naidu, who stopped to extend greetings to the new UP CM.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also extended her greetings as did a number of other members to the member from Gorakhpur in UP.

"You are welcome. You are the CM of UP and along with that you are a member of this House," the Speaker said while inviting Yogi to speak.

The name of 44-year-old UP CM, who arrived in Delhi this morning to meet PM Modi and top BJP leaders, was added to the list of speakers after he came to the House.

Yogi Adityanath took over as 21st Chief Minister of the country's largest state on Sunday and had vowed to pursue the agenda of 'sabka sath, sabka vikas'.

He heads a 47-member Council of Ministers, including two deputy CMs.

Yogi is a five-time MP and the BJP's fourth CM of UP. Interestingly, the CM and his two deputies - Keshav Prasad Maurya (47) and Dinesh Sharma (53) - are not members of either House of the UP legislature.

Driven by the 'Modi wave', the BJP had stormed to power in UP on March 11 after 14 years, securing three-fourths majority and demolishing rivals SP-Congress alliance and BSP in a keenly-contested Assembly polls.

The BJP got 312 seats in the 403-member Assembly. Its allies Apna Dal(S) and SBSP bagged nine seats and four seats, respectively, taking the total tally of the combine to 325.

On the other hand, the SP won 47 seats while its ally the Congress got 7 seats.

The BSP won just 19 seats, finishing a dismal third.

(With PTI inputs)