Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 25 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the BJP government had eliminated the mafia from Uttar Pradesh, creating a conducive atmosphere for investment in the state.
Addressing the UP International Trade Show 2026, Shah recalled the situation in the state before the BJP came to power in 2017 and said the Yogi Adityanath government had taken steps to eliminate mafia elements across Uttar Pradesh.
“There was a time when the mafia ruled UP. In 2017, the BJP formed the government here, with Yogi Adityanath assuming the role of Chief Minister. The Yogi government has successfully eliminated the mafia across the state, and this has created a conducive atmosphere for investment…” Shah said.
He also highlighted political stability under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said policy continuity and implementation had helped transform India into a global manufacturing hub.
“Political stability has become a hallmark of our leader, PM Modi. By earning the public’s trust over 3 consecutive terms as Prime Minister, he has not only formulated policies but also ensured their consistent implementation on the ground, he said.
Shah added that “PM Modi has also demonstrated great dynamism in refining existing policies and formulating new ones based on experience, thereby transforming India into an attractive global manufacturing hub.”
The Union home minister recalled that in 2013, the Uttar Pradesh government had organised a conference to attract industrial investment to the state, but the event had to be held in Delhi due to the law-and-order situation in Lucknow.
“In 2013, UP govt organised a conference to attract industrial investment to the state… At that time, it had to be held in Delhi. When the media raised questions about this, UP officials frankly admitted that the law-and-order situation in Lucknow was such that no investor was willing to come there. That is why they had to move the event to Delhi,” Shah said.
He contrasted the situation with the present and credited the change to the “double-engine” government.
“But look at the situation today: That very same Uttar Pradesh has become free from fear, a hub for investment, and an engine of national growth. This transformation is the magic of the ‘double-engine’ government,” he said.
Shah said the transformation had enabled Uttar Pradesh to set an ambitious target of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy.
“It is precisely because of this transformation that Uttar Pradesh can now set the ambitious goal of becoming a 1-trillion-dollar economy,” he said.
Shah contrasted the present situation in Uttar Pradesh with the period when the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party governed the state, and highlighted the emergence of new industrial and manufacturing sectors.
“There was a time when the SP and BSP ruled here. A ‘crime industry’ was thriving… Look at the situation today, 10 years later. In place of the illegal pistol industry, a defence corridor has been established; vehicle manufacturing has replaced vehicle theft; and a medical device park is coming up where the chain-snatching ‘industry’ once existed. This is a massive transformation,” Shah said.
He said Uttar Pradesh, which earlier lacked confidence to host an investment summit in Lucknow, had now emerged as a major destination for investors.
“The very UP that once lacked the confidence to host an investment summit in Lucknow has now become a major hub for attracting investment… After the Yogi government took office, the BJP administration completely eradicated the hooliganism that prevailed during the SP-BSP era…” he said.
Shah also highlighted the impact of the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative on employment and local manufacturing in the state.
“There was a time when people from here used to travel to states across the country in search of employment. Today, however, the youth of UP are finding jobs right here in their own state because of this (One District One Product) initiative,” he said.
He said the ODOP website had been launched to further promote the state’s products and manufacturers.
“I have just launched the ODOP website… This trade show will greatly facilitate business and production for UP’s manufacturers and help showcase the state’s identity to the world,” Shah said. (ANI)