On Thursday, December 19, 2024, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee as an emblem of good governance, highlighting his pivotal role in transforming political instability into stability and achieving effective governance. CM Yogi praised Vajpayee’s visionary initiatives, including the Antyodaya scheme, which focused on empowering marginalized communities, such as the poor, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and backward classes. He also emphasized landmark projects like the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana and the Golden Quadrilateral, which revolutionized India’s infrastructure and highways.
CM Yogi made these remarks while inaugurating Good Governance Week at the Sangeet Natak Academy, where he also unveiled an exhibition honoring the life and contributions of the late Prime Minister. The week-long event, marking the 100th birth anniversary of Vajpayee, will continue until December 25.
In his address, CM Yogi noted that 2024 marks Vajpayee’s centenary, celebrating the former Prime Minister as a revered figure and a guiding light for governance in India. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for initiating Good Governance Week across the nation and the state. CM Yogi highlighted Vajpayee’s deep connection to Uttar Pradesh, his birthplace and his “Karmabhoomi,” where he represented constituencies like Balrampur and Lucknow in Parliament.
He further lauded Vajpayee as a statesman who provided exemplary leadership as both Foreign Minister and Prime Minister. Known as the “Ajatashatru” of Indian politics, Vajpayee was also a poet, journalist, and author, whose six decades of public life remained untarnished.
CM Yogi announced that district-level programs began on December 19 as part of Good Governance Week and will continue until December 25. These include essay-writing competitions on good governance for schoolchildren, speeches at higher education institutions, painting contests, and rural seminars. The winners will be honored on December 25, which will also feature special poetry sessions based on Vajpayee’s poems, offering a platform for emerging poets in schools and colleges.
The Chief Minister underscored that Vajpayee’s contributions and ideals remain a source of inspiration for the nation. He emphasized that the vision of good governance championed by Vajpayee is being realized under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the state government fully committed to this mission. Ministers Yogendra Upadhyay and Jaiveer Singh, along with other dignitaries, attended the launch of the event.