"Pressing wrong button brings mafia raj...": BJP chief Nadda targets BSP MP in Ghazipur rally

Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 20 : Noting that voting right is crucial in a democracy, Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda said on Friday that pressing the "wrong button" results in the "mafia raj" but pressing the right button results in the formation of a medical college.
Addressing a public meeting at ITI ground in Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, Nadda lauded the infrastructure development taking place in Uttar Pradesh. He termed the development of the state as 'HIRA'
"Today, I say that development means HIRA -- H for Highway, I for Internet, R for Railways and A for Airways," he said.
Add waterways to this, he continued, as Uttar Pradesh is now connected to the eastern port by the River Ganga.
The BJP chief earlier took part in the felicitation ceremony of the ex-servicemen.
In his remarks at the public meeting, Nadda talked about the pace of development in Uttar Pradesh under the BJP government.
"Today, when I was coming (from Kashi), I saw Ghazipur has changed a lot. Earlier, it took hours to reach Ghazipur from Kashi. Today, it took just one-and-a-half-hour," he said.
Nadda said this became possible because the people of the state properly used the power of their vote.
He said India would soon become the world's fourth-largest economy.
Referring to India's growing power under the Modi government, Nadda said that in 2014, 92 percent of mobiles used to come from outside and today 97 per cent of mobile phones are being made in India.
"We have become the second-largest manufacturer of steel. India is giving the cheapest medicine to the world. The country has become the dispensary of the world. We are at the forefront of chemicals. India has overtaken Japan to become the third-largest country in the automobile industry," he said.
Nadda also said during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister set up a task force and in just eight months, the country received two vaccines.
"You will be surprised to learn that whereas vaccination rates are currently 100 per cent in India, they are only 74 per cent in America," he said.
The BJP said that Uttar Pradesh is moving forward by leaps and bounds under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
"During the government of Akhilesh Yadav, when we used to send money, it used to go somewhere else as there was a hole in the bowl of the state government. No work was done on the ground using that money," he said.
"Kidnapping, hooliganism, land grabbing, and mafia raj were all common at the time," he alleged.
Nadda said BJP has provided relief to the common man.
"Today, the picture of villages has changed. People used to carry lanterns because there were no lights in the UP villages earlier. Every village in the state now receives enough electricity."
Nadda slammed BSP MP from Ghazipur Afzal Ansari, brother of gangster Mukhtar Ansari, and said "the MP you elected from here has nothing to do with the people here".
"Their only task is to figure out how to get 'Bhaiya' out of jail," he said.
Addressing the ex-servicemen, Nadda said that the Indian Army is considered to be the most powerful army in the world. In any kind of crisis, Indian soldiers have sacrificed their lives and have protected the country and the border.
He said that India's defence exports have also increased almost eight times.
In 2014, the country's defence exports were Rs 1941 crore and have increased to almost Rs 12000 crore today and there has been an increase of about 54.12 percent in comparison to the year 2020-21.
Now around 300 defence items will be made in India and this will reduce our dependence on other countries.
Ghazipur is among the few seats BJP lost in Uttar Pradesh in the last Lok Sabha election. The party is putting special efforts to strengthen itself on seats it lost in 2019 general election in the state.
Nadda's tenure as BJP chief was extended in the BJP National Executive meeting held in the national capital earlier this month.