India can become superpower in 2 years if we prioritise nation over religion: Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said India can become the third largest superpower in the next two years if the people of the country prioritise nation over caste or religion.

Adityanath was speaking at the Veeron Ko Naman programme to mark the centenary celebration of the Kakori train action, an important landmark in India’s freedom movement.

"India is going to become the third largest superpower in the next two years, but this can happen only when our priority is not our caste or religion, but the nation," Adityanath said. "We have to think about how we can establish India as a powerful nation. If we perform our duties today, then there is no reason why India should not progress."

The chief minister hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the country on the path of development in the last 10 years. To establish an egalitarian society, "we will have to move forward on values like Vocal for Local", he said. "No power in the world can stop India. This is the time, the right time."

Saluting the revolutionaries who took part in the Kakori train action, Adityanath said the country gained Independence thanks to the sacrifices made by them and other freedom fighters.

The Kakori train action saw Indian freedom fighters looting the treasury of the British government to buy arms for revolutionaries against the British Raj, which occurred on 9 August 1925 in Kakori, Lucknow.

In 1927, Ram Prasad ‘Bismil’, Ashfaqulla Khan and Thakur Roshan Singh were hanged by the British government for their involvement in the incident.

Adityanath said the work done by the revolutionaries to use the revenue going out of the country for the service of the country, made headlines not only in the country but the entire world.

Independence was not achieved in one day. Its foundation was laid by struggles that took place in different periods, he added. "Our independence is the result of the sacrifices of such martyrs," Adityanath said.

The chief minister reiterated that the centenary festival of Kakori train action will be celebrated throughout the year with various activities being organised across the state. On Friday, programmes were held at martyrs' memorials while four-and-a-half crore tri-colours were being hoisted atop houses across the state.

He also honoured the families of freedom fighters, including Rajiv Kumar Singh and Kshipra Singh (great-grandson and great-granddaughter of Thakur Roshan Singh), and Afaqullah Khan (grandson of Ashfaqullah Khan).