Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 20 : Reflecting on the complete overhaul of the security landscape in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday stated that no one in the state dares to harass a woman walking down the street anymore, noting that anyone attempting to do so is "effectively signing his own death sentence."
Addressing an official ceremony in Lucknow to distribute appointment letters to newly inducted personnel in the Uttar Pradesh Police Department, the Chief Minister asserted that the state's zero-tolerance law-and-order apparatus has instilled fear among criminals, transforming the UP Police into a governance model that is now studied across the nation.
"Today, would anyone dare harass a daughter walking down the street? If anyone does, he knows what the consequences will be. If he doesn't know what those consequences are, then I believe he is effectively signing his own death sentence himself... There is no need to spell it out for him anymore, because the transformation in perception that UP has undergone—the UP Police itself has contributed to shaping this image today," CM Yogi said.
Exhorting the newly inducted police personnel, the Chief Minister said: "All of you have been selected today to become part of that very force. Therefore, you should say with pride that you belong to the police force that has become a symbol of trust for 25 crore people. Across the country, as you must be noticing, wherever people talk about governance models, they now discuss the UP Police model."
Taking a sharp dig at critics and highlighting the total eradication of communal unrest under his regime, CM Yogi remarked that riots have become a thing of the past in Uttar Pradesh.
"People ask: are there no riots taking place in UP, is there no unrest happening? I tell them: no, riots don't happen anymore; we only conduct riot mock drills sometimes, just so that those people don't forget what a riot used to look like!" the Chief Minister remarked.
Drawing a stark comparison with the pre-2017 security scenario, Yogi recounted how criminal syndicates and communal clashes once paralysed the state.
"In UP, riots used to break out every other day, and curfews lasted for months—riots in Aligarh, in Meerut. In Muzaffarnagar, riots continued unabated for six months. Leave aside ordinary citizens and traders; whether it was administrative officers, police officers, or members of the judiciary, the mafia was a challenge even for them! If a mafia convoy was passing by, vehicles of judicial officers would be halted to let the mafia pass first," he said.
"Today, can any gangster create mayhem brandishing weapons in an open jeep? Today, would anyone dare to incite unrest ahead of a festival? Can anyone trigger a chain of riots in a state like Uttar Pradesh today? Today, the UP Police has played a pivotal role in reshaping the overall perception and transformation of UP; the UP Police has accomplished what had never happened in UP before!" the Chief Minister asserted.
Lashing out at previous regimes for institutional corruption in government hiring, Yogi pointed out that the police recruitment system itself had once earned widespread notoriety.
"Earlier, questions were consistently raised over the integrity of examinations, paper leak cases were rampant, and UP Police had earned such notoriety that someone would appear for the exam, while someone else would receive the appointment letter! Those who were not even applicants were handed appointment letters, while genuine and eligible applicants were shown the door. Lengthy inquiries took place, but the result was zero."
CM Yogi stated that transparent and merit-based recruitment is essential for restoring the public's faith in the administrative machinery.
"When a candidate is selected in a fair, honest, and transparent manner, it becomes a symbol of trust not just for an individual's family, but also towards governance and the common man. Prior to 2017, I had observed the system of Uttar Pradesh from very close quarters and had experienced it as well. At that time, we felt the deep despair and frustration among the youth caused by widespread discrepancies in the recruitment process," the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister further asserted that after assuming power in 2017, his administration initiated root-and-branch reforms to eliminate middlemen, dismantle paper-leak syndicates, and bring structural integrity back to competitive examinations.
"In 2017, upon assuming office, we decided to reform the entire recruitment process. Whether it was various recruitment boards, service commissions, or different sectors of education, we brought them together and constituted unified bodies like the Education Service Commission to ensure fair, transparent, and merit-driven selections," CM Yogi said.
The Chief Minister emphasised that this sweeping turnaround over the past nine-and-a-half years was delivered by reforming the work culture of the existing state machinery rather than relying on outside bureaucrats.
"When we select qualified candidates, how transformation takes place—the change witnessed in Uttar Pradesh over the past 9.5 years is an example of this. The state remains the same, we did not bring anything extra with us, and the administrative posts are unchanged. Nor is it the case that I brought in officers from Gorakhpur, Delhi, or from outside and am governing the state through them! It is the very same manpower, but a shift has taken place in people's perspective," CM Yogi asserted.