People of country consider 'Mother India' above all: Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said the people of the country consider 'Mother India' above all, no matter which religion or part of the nation they are from.

Speaking after unfurling the national flag at an Independence Day function at the Vidhan Bhavan here, he also stressed there should be a feeling in everyone that "if I discharge my duties, then my future generation will honour me".

"We are all seeing a 'new India', the chief minister said, according to a statement. "Despite being different in appearance, dress and food, our feelings are the same. Indians may be from east, west, north or south, be of any religion, (but) they first consider Mother India above all. Mother India, our country, is their first priority," he said Citing instances of cultural unity, he said thousands of years ago, a monk born in Kerala established 'peeths' in four corners of the country in the form of Aadishankar.

"Today the country is growing on a new philosophy. India is chairing the G20 under the leadership of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi. It is an occasion for every Indian to feel proud," Adityanath said and added that 11 G20 events were scheduled in Uttar Pradesh.

On the occasion, he also said better law and order, and security in Uttar Pradesh has changed the perception towards the state. Uttar Pradesh is known as an "infrastructure state", he said while highlighting the different expressway projects in the state.

He said India aims to become the third largest economy by 2027. "About one-fifth of the country's population resides in Uttar Pradesh. The state where such a large population resides, that state also has some responsibility. Uttar Pradesh is doing well in the agriculture sector. It has 11 per cent share in this sector," Adityanath said.

He said as a result of "farmers' hardwork, Uttar Pradesh has succeeded in producing 20 per cent food grains in the country". "Continuous work is going on in Uttar Pradesh on the possibility of increasing it," the chief minister said.

Earlier, Adityanath had unfurled the national flag at his official residence and there he said it was on this day that the country became independent after breaking the shackles of centuries of slavery. "What freedom means, all of us understand this today," he said.

During a plantation drive under the 'Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyaan-2023 here, the chief minister also inaugurated an 'Amrit Stambh' at the Amrit Vatika on the banks of the Gomti river, according to the statement.

He noted that due to recent excessive rainfall in different parts of the country, there has been loss of life and property.

"Whenever you play with nature, you will not be able to escape from the bad effects. Yesterday, again in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, we saw the 'taandav' of nature," the chief minister said and added that "on the pretext of Amrit Vatika, we have got the opportunity to join the new resolution to save the environment".

Trees will become the medium to "connect us all with nature and God", Adityanath said while inaugurating the plantation of five crore saplings under the Abhiyaan.