Speaking at an event marking eight years of BJP governance in Uttar Pradesh, CM Yogi credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for the state's transformation. He expressed gratitude to the state's 25 crore residents for their continued support.

Reflecting on the situation eight years ago, he said Uttar Pradesh was facing an identity crisis, with farmers committing suicide, youth struggling for jobs, and law and order in disarray.

"The same state machinery exists today, yet a mere change in government has brought about remarkable progress," he said.

He emphasised that Uttar Pradesh, once counted among the BIMARU (lagging) states, has now become the "growth engine of the nation's economic development."

He pointed out that before 2017, agriculture was neglected, but now, with abundant resources and modern technology, the sector has flourished. He highlighted how the state's agricultural growth rate jumped from 5 per cent in 2016-17 to over 13.5 per cent, leading to a 28 per cent increase in Uttar Pradesh's GDP.

He cited the success of government schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi, and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana in improving the lives of farmers. Additionally, he noted that food grain production has surged by 20 per cent in the last year alone.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the revival of the sugar industry, which was on the verge of collapse before 2017.

He said the government revived six closed sugar mills, established three new ones, expanded 38 others, and ensured that 122 sugar mills were now operational. He added that sugarcane farmers have received payments exceeding Rs 2.8 lakh crore since 2017 -- surpassing the total payouts made by previous governments over 22 years.

"If this is compared with the 22-year tenure of the previous governments, whatever they did in 22 years, our double engine government did that in just eight years," the Chief Minister added.

On law and order, CM Yogi recalled how riots, crime, and insecurity plagued the state before 2017.

"There used to be a riot every other day. Neither daughters nor businessmen were safe. Today, Uttar Pradesh has taken a long leap in law and order, and the successful Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj stands as proof," he said.

He credited the improvement to systematic police reforms, noting that when the BJP government came to power, 1.5 lakh police posts were vacant, and recruitment was mired in corruption.

"For the first time, over 1.56 lakh police personnel were recruited transparently, and another 60,200 new recruitments have been completed," he stated. He further noted that over 2.16 lakh police personnel have joined the force in the last eight years.

CM Yogi also emphasised the infrastructural development in the police department. He said that before 2017, ten districts had no police lines, and barracks were in a dilapidated state.

Now, police lines have been established in all ten districts, barracks have been built at police stations, and police training capacity has expanded significantly.

He also highlighted efforts to curb riots, stating that the previous governments had weakened law enforcement by scrapping 54 PAC battalions.

"They conspired to give rioters a free hand. Our government reinstated these PAC battalions, formed three women battalions, and initiated five new PAC units across the state," he said.

For enhanced security, a Special Security Force was established for airports, metros, and vital institutions, and cyber police stations were set up in every district. He added that the response time of emergency service 112 has been reduced from 25 minutes 42 seconds in 2017 to just 7 minutes 24 seconds today.

CM Yogi also lauded the installation of over 11 lakh CCTV cameras across the state, calling it a major step towards making Uttar Pradesh the first state in India to implement a cyber city concept as per the Supreme Court's directive post the Nirbhaya incident.

The Chief Minister reaffirmed his government's commitment to ensuring safety, good governance, and development, stating that the transformation seen in the last eight years is a testament to what a determined administration can achieve.