On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel addressed a joint session of the state legislature, marking the inaugural session of 2025. She particularly highlighted the ongoing Mahakumbh festival in Prayagraj, referring to it as a testament to the ethos of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” (One India, Great India).

Governor Anandiben Patel remarked, “The UP government is privileged to host Mahakumbh 2025, which has set fresh standards in hygiene, security, and organization. This year’s event uniquely blends faith with modernity, reflecting both tradition and progress.”

She emphasized that Mahakumbh 2025 symbolizes the unity in diversity, fostering equality and harmony, and further reinforcing the vision of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’. To date, over 50 crore devotees have participated in the sacred rituals at the Triveni Sangam.

The Governor expressed her sorrow regarding the tragic events on Mauni Amavasya, stating, “We are deeply saddened by this incident.” She extended her condolences to the bereaved families and wished a swift recovery for those injured.

She also referred to the momentous cabinet meeting held on January 22, 2025, at the holy Triveni Sangam during Mahakumbh. The Governor highlighted that crucial decisions were made during this significant gathering for the benefit of the state.

In her speech, Governor Anandiben Patel underscored the critical importance of law and order, stating that security is fundamental for a civilized society. She reaffirmed the government’s dedication to preserving peace and stability, asserting, “Under my administration, there have been no occurrences of communal riots or caste-related conflicts.”

She noted that Uttar Pradesh has successfully managed major festivals, fairs, religious events, and elections in a peaceful and orderly manner. The Governor credited the administration’s initiatives for nurturing a secure community and upholding public safety.

“Before 2017, the law and order situation in the state was dire, and public trust in the administration had diminished. However, under the Yogi government, police modernization and reforms have transformed Uttar Pradesh into a model for effective law enforcement,” she stated.

The Governor pointed out that the government has adopted a ‘zero-tolerance policy towards crime’ and continuously improved policing standards. These initiatives have fostered a crime-free environment as the government strives towards achieving the vision of ‘Ram Rajya’ — a state characterized by justice, peace, and good governance.

She noted the impressive results of ‘Operation Conviction’, which aims to enhance conviction rates in Uttar Pradesh. From July 2023 to December 2024, the operation resulted in the death sentences of 51 criminals, life imprisonment for 6,287, and various other prison terms for thousands more.

Additionally, she reported that since November 2019, effective legal actions against notorious mafia figures have led to 31 mafia leaders and 74 accomplices being sentenced to life imprisonment, other jail terms, and fines, with two receiving the death penalty.

“Moreover, the government has seized and demolished properties worth over Rs 4,074 crore linked to dubious ownership while recovering movable and immovable assets valued over Rs 141 billion from illegal claims,” she added.

The Governor further discussed the success of ‘Operation Trinetra’, which has resulted in the installation of more than 1.1 million CCTV cameras in police stations. She highlighted the impressive improvement in the response time of UP-112 emergency services, which has decreased from over 25 minutes in 2017 to just over 7 minutes in 2024.

She noted that prior to 2017, Uttar Pradesh had only two cybercrime police stations, but now every district is equipped with one. Since then, the state has registered 21,655 FIRs related to complaints lodged on Twitter.

The Governor applauded the achievements of the Special Task Force (STF) in preventing 653 serious crimes and mentioned that the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested 130 terrorists and 171 Rohingya/Bangladeshi nationals and their associates since 2017.

She also highlighted the efforts made by the Yogi government to enhance police capacity, revealing that over 156,000 personnel have been recruited, and more than 149,000 have been promoted by the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board since 2017. Ongoing recruitment efforts are in place for 92,919 non-gazetted roles.

In her address, Governor Patel spoke about the state’s advancements in infrastructure, dubbing Uttar Pradesh as the ‘Expressway State’ of India. She noted the operational Yamuna, Agra-Lucknow, Purvanchal, and Bundelkhand Expressways, along with the upcoming Ganga and Gorakhpur Link Expressways.

According to her, Uttar Pradesh now holds the highest share of the country’s expressway network. She shared information regarding ongoing projects, including the Chitrakoot Link Expressway, a connector between Agra-Lucknow and Purvanchal Expressways, the Bundelkhand-Agra-Lucknow link via Farrukhabad, and the Ganga Expressway, as well as the Jewar Airport Link Expressway.