Amit Shah Attends Uttar Pradesh Foundation Day Celebrations in Lucknow

Lucknow :Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Lucknow on Saturday to take part in the celebrations marking the 76th Foundation Day of Uttar Pradesh. He was received by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, as the state marked the occasion with official events and tributes to its historical and cultural legacy.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings to the people of Uttar Pradesh, praising their contribution to India’s cultural richness and national development. In a message shared on social media, the Prime Minister said the state has made remarkable progress over the past nine years, shedding its earlier BIMARU image to emerge as an exemplary performer.

Congratulating the people of the state, the Prime Minister highlighted their role in strengthening India’s heritage and said Uttar Pradesh’s growth would play a crucial role in sustaining the country’s development momentum. He attributed the transformation to public participation and the “double-engine” governance model, expressing confidence that the state’s potential would continue to energise the nation’s progress.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, reflecting on the occasion, described Uttar Pradesh’s journey as one of decisive change — from a bottleneck to a breakthrough, from revenue deficit to revenue surplus, and from disruption to celebration. He said the state has now emerged as a key growth engine of India’s development, driven by infrastructure expansion, improved law and order, and economic reforms.

Uttar Pradesh observes its Foundation Day on January 24, commemorating the renaming of the former United Provinces in 1950, two days before the adoption of the Indian Constitution. The state, nourished by sacred rivers such as the Ganga, Yamuna and Saryu, holds immense civilisational significance and is home to major pilgrimage centres including Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mathura, Vrindavan, Prayagraj and Sarnath.

From ancient spiritual traditions to modern economic aspirations, Uttar Pradesh continues to occupy a central place in India’s cultural and developmental narrative, a journey that leaders on Saturday said is far from complete.