GORAKHPUR, July 24 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday accused parties that had allegedly "attacked people's faith" in the past of attempting to project themselves as defenders of religion now. "The people are well aware of their double standards. Those who assaulted faith cannot become its custodians," he said. He was addressing a public gathering here after inaugurating the first six-lane flyover in the Gorakhpur division along with four development projects worth Rs.813.52 crore, and laying the foundation stone for 10 projects valued at Rs.181.77 crore. The chief minister alleged that both the Samajwadi Party and the Congress had "insulted faith" during their tenures and were now attempting to portray themselves as protectors of religious sentiments. "The SP created obstacles during the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi movement and ordered firing on Ram devotees. The Congress questioned the existence of Lord Ram and opposed the temple movement in the Supreme Court. Such people have no right to speak about faith today," he said. Taking further aim at the SP and the Congress, he accused previous governments of prioritising caste-based and appeasement politics over development. "The people of Uttar Pradesh have witnessed the difference between governments that promoted corruption and those committed to development and public welfare," he said. Attacking the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, he accused previous governments of leaving the state's youth jobless by failing to create adequate employment opportunities. He claimed that the BJP government had restored merit-based recruitment, ensured transparency in the selection process, and created new avenues of employment through development and investment. He alleged that government recruitment during the SP regime was controlled by the "Saifai Syndicate." "Whenever government jobs were announced during the SP government, the Saifai Syndicate took control of the recruitment process. The youth were deprived of their rights and cheated," he alleged. The chief minister claimed that his government had provided nine lakh government jobs over the past nine years through a transparent and merit-based recruitment process. He added that the state government had also focused on attracting investments, promoting industrial growth, and implementing skill development programmes to generate employment opportunities for young people. He further alleged that previous governments neglected farmers' interests and allowed key institutions, including sugar mills, to deteriorate. "The governments before 2017 pushed the state towards decline. Sugar mills were sold instead of being strengthened, and farmers' interests were ignored. Today, our government is reviving industries and creating new opportunities," he said. He added that the government had prioritised the revival of closed sugar mills, infrastructure development, and employment generation. Highlighting his government's achievements, Yogi said Uttar Pradesh had undergone significant transformation in recent years through large-scale infrastructure projects, improved law and order, and increased investment. "Today, Uttar Pradesh is recognised as a state of development and opportunity. Industries are expanding, infrastructure is growing, and the youth are getting new avenues for employment," he said. "Those who ignored the interests of the people for years are unable to digest the pace of development taking place in the state today," he added....