Gorakhpur, December 19: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said Mahatma Gandhi would have been happy to see the "beauty" of Kashi (Varanasi) today, highlighting the city's makeover under Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project.

“When in 1916 Mahatma Gandhi came to Kashi and went to have 'darshan' of Kashi Vishwanath temple, he made sharp comment on the dirt and narrow lanes around the temple. Also Read | Tamil Nadu: Busman Arrested for Raping, Impregnating 17-Year-Old Girl in Madurai.

“But now PM Modi has changed the entire situation and Mahatma Gandhi would have been very happy after seeing the beauty of Kashi,” Adityanath said. Addressing a programme of RSS-affiliated ABVP here, he said in 1980 when Ramjanmbhoomi movement started it was hard for people to believe that the temple will one day become a reality. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi Takes Jibe at RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Says 'Hindus Believe Every Person's DNA Is Unique'.

He also alleged that the Article 370 - now abrogated - was implemented against the wish of BR Ambedkar and the then-Jansangh leader Shyama Prasad Mookerji.

“Article 370 was introduced silently. Babasaheb opposed it, but his voice was suppressed. Shyama Prasad Mookarji too protested against the article and raised his voice for one nation, one symbol. And he sacrificed himself to end permit raj in Kashmir,” he said. He accused the opposition parties of dividing society in the name of “caste, language, and place”.

Adityanath lauded the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for “bringing people of Northeast into the mainstream”, saying what could not be done by previous governments, was done by the student organisation. "Today BJP has government in Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh. I can say now that ABVP is doing a good job,” he said.

Talking about his meeting with 22 BTech students, the CM said 16 of them wanted to launch startups but were not aware of government schemes about it. He asked the ABVP to create awareness about welfare schemes of the government so that people could be benefited.

The CM claimed that with start of ODOP (One District, One Product) scheme, UP has become an export hub. He said terracotta artists earned Rs 8 lakh in Lucknow and people bought locally-made idols of Lakshmi-Ganesh during Diwali instead of those made in China.

Adityanath lauded PM Modi also for his “management” of COVID pandemic.

He said more people died in the US of coronavirus than India despite the latter's weaker health infrastructure and higher population.

Earlier at another event in the city, the CM laid foundation of or inaugurated 334 development schemes worth Rs 955 crore. During the programme, he also distributed “equipment” among 1261 children with disability.

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