LUCKNOW, Sept. 17 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday took a swipe at previous governments, alleging they had no time for artisans as they were busy organising the Saifai Mahotsav, bringing dancers from Mumbai and celebrating birthdays with a buggy from Birmingham.

Speaking at an event at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan on Vishwakarma Jayanti and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, Adityanath said his government had focused on promoting "swadeshi" and self-reliance by linking traditional skills with training, credit and markets. He also launched the Vishwakarma Swarozgar and Swadeshi Mela-2026.

"When governments were busy organising mahotsavs in Saifai, bringing dancers from Mumbai and celebrating birthdays with a buggy from B...