Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh on his death anniversary, remembering him as a "messiah of farmers" who made significant contributions to agriculture and revenue reforms in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Adityanath said," Today is the holy death anniversary of the great son of Mother India, the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and former Prime Minister of the country, the messiah of farmers, Bharat Ratna Chaudhary Charan Singh ji. On this occasion, while paying homage to the memories of Chaudhary Saheb, on behalf of the people of the state, I pay my humble tributes to him."
Chaudhary Charan Singh ji was born on December 23, 1902, in Uttar Pradesh. He was associated with the country's freedom movement. The credit for various reforms in the field of agriculture and revenue in the country goes to Chaudhary Saheb, the Chief Minister said.
CM Yogi highlighted how Charan Singh consistently advocated for farmers to remain at the centre of the development agenda and the government's priorities. The Chief Minister added that recognising his contribution towards the welfare of farmers and the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi honoured him with the Bharat Ratna.
"He was the messiah of the country's farmers, and he clearly stated that the path of the country's development passes through the villages, village fields, and barns. Therefore, farmers should be on the development agenda. Farmers should be a part of the government's priority. Keeping in mind the work done by Chaudhary Saheb in the interest of the country, Prime Minister Modi ji also honoured him with the title of Bharat Ratna," said CM.
Adityanath said the Uttar Pradesh government has been running several initiatives to preserve Chaudhary Charan Singh's legacy, particularly those focused on farmers' welfare.He highlighted the construction of the Chaudhary Charan Singh Seed Park in Lucknow as one of the key efforts in this direction.
Adityanath asserted," The Uttar Pradesh government is running many programs to keep Chaudhary Saheb's memories alive. All those programs related to the interests of farmers, in which the construction of Chaudhary Charan Singh Seed Park in Lucknow is also important.
The Chief Minister said Charan Singh was not only a prominent political leader but also made a lasting contribution to the country and society through his work for farmers."The Chief Minister said Charan Singh was not only a prominent political leader but also made a lasting contribution to the country and society through his work for farmers.try, along with being the messiah of farmers, he had also made a significant contribution to the country and society. He passed away on May 29, 1987," said CM.
"Today is his holy death anniversary. On this occasion, on behalf of the people of the state, I pay my humble tributes to him while remembering the holy memory of Chaudhary Saheb," said CM.Chaudhary Charan Singh was born on December 23, 1902, and served as India's fifth Prime Minister from July 1979 to January 1980. He held several key portfolios during his political career, including Minister for Home and Agriculture in CB Gupta's ministry in 1960, and Minister for Agriculture and Forests in Sucheta Kripalani's ministry between 1962 and 1963.
Among his notable contributions were the Redemption Bill of 1939, which played a significant role in providing relief to rural debtors, and the Land Holding Act of 1960, implemented during his tenure as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, which aimed to reduce land ceilings uniformly across the state.