Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 5 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday accused the Congress of undermining the credibility of India's democratic and constitutional institutions for its "selfish interests", alleging that the party questions the electoral process and EVMs whenever it loses an election.
The Chief Minister also referred to the Emergency imposed in 1975, questioning the Congress's criticism of the BJP on democratic issues.
"Today the Congress is lecturing us about democracy. This is the very same Congress that imposed an Emergency in the country in 1975. For the Congress, a party that once harboured designs to impose an Emergency, to lecture us on democracy today creates a truly farcical situation. Every citizen in India is deeply conscious of democracy and knows how to firmly break the shackles that obstruct its path. Yet, the Congress and its allies refuse to accept this reality. If they win an election, they claim it as a testament to their own merit; if they lose, they shift the blame onto the EVMs," he said.
Yogi Adityanath on Thursday led the 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy) padyatra in Ghaziabad, as part of the BJP's campaign to counter the Opposition's allegations against democratic and constitutional institutions.
Adityanath, while addressing the gathering, said the Congress was making malicious attempts to undermine the credibility of the world's oldest and largest democracy.
"You must have witnessed the chaos created by the Congress over the past some time. See how, for the sake of its own selfish interests, it is making a malicious attempt to undermine the credibility of the world's oldest and largest democracy," he said.
"Making derogatory remarks about India's constitutional institutions and casting aspersions upon them has become a habit for the Congress. It is astonishing that by making reckless comments about the nation's constitutional institutions and expressing a lack of faith in democracy, the Congress is sinning by insulting the legacy of India's freedom fighters," he added.
Adityanath also accused the Congress of putting the country in a difficult position during its time in power, alleging that it was involved in scams and compromised national security.
"Whenever the Congress had the chance, it never missed an occasion to put the nation in the dock. After perpetrating scams worth lakhs of crores through various means and compromising the nation's security, at a time when the Congress had completely lost the trust of the common people, the nation placed its faith in the then Gujarat CM, Narendra Modi," he said.
Highlighting the changes in the country since 2014, the Chief Minister credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for India's progress in security, economy and global standing.
"Under the leadership of PM Modi, we have witnessed the transformation of India since 2014. Before 2014, there was such a pervasive sense of distrust, chaos, Naxalism, terrorism, and corruption that no individual felt safe. The India of the post-2014 era is secure, free from terrorism and Naxalism. India has overcome the identity crisis it once faced on the global stage. It is no longer an unstable economy, no longer part of the 'Fragile Five', but is instead surging ahead, now standing as one of the world's top four economies," he said.
Questioning the protests organised by the Congress and its allies, including in Delhi, Adityanath said the Opposition was unable to accept the country's progress under the Modi government.
"What is the reason behind the protests by the Congress and its allies, including those in Delhi? There is only one reason: under the leadership of PM Modi, a 'New India' has carved out a distinct identity for itself. It has magnificently advanced the journey of balancing heritage with development. The Congress and its allies, however, seek only to create obstacles and act as a barrier," he said.
He said Modi had set a vision for the country to become a developed nation by the 200th year of its independence and had initiated work towards achieving that goal.
"When PM Modi set a vision for the nation, noting that while we are witnessing the 75th year of our independence, we must now look ahead to what India should look like by its 200th year of independence, he urged the country to move forward toward the realisation of a 'Developed India' (Viksit Bharat). He initiated work toward this goal, bringing about transformation in every sector," Adityanath said.
The Chief Minister also accused the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) of opposing the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, saying they had challenged the project in court and confronted devotees.
"For 500 years, Lord Ram Lalla was forced to exist either under the structures of subjugation or within a mere tent. The Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) opposed the Ram Mandir; they fought against it in the courts and confronted the devotees on the streets," he said.
Drawing a comparison between religious heritage projects and development initiatives, Adityanath cited the construction of houses for the poor and the development of major infrastructure projects.
"Just as the Ram Mandir has been built in Ayodhya, 4 crore homes have been constructed across the country for the Dalits, the poor, and the marginalised under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Just as the Kashi Vishwanath Dham was developed in Kashi, the Bharat Mandapam was established in Delhi. Just as Kedarpuri was reconstructed in Kedarnath, the Purvanchal and Uttarakhand Bhawan have been built in Ghaziabad," he said. 
The Ghaziabad padyatra led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is part of the BJP's three-day 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' campaign being organised across six organisational regions of Uttar Pradesh from November 3 to 5.