Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that government jobs in the state were earlier available only through bribes or political recommendations. Taking a swipe at an “uncle-nephew” duo, in an apparent reference to Samajwadi Party leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav, he claimed that the BJP government had provided government jobs to more than 9.5 lakh young people in the past nine-and-a-half years, news agency Press Trust of India reported.Adityanath was speaking at the launch of a programme to distribute 25 lakh tablets under the Swami Vivekananda Youth Empowerment Scheme on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.

He said the government would hand over appointment letters to more than twice the number of 55,000 young people present at the event by January 26.“People often ask what has brought an end to the identity crisis. Our answer is the youth power of Uttar Pradesh,” Adityanath said, according to PTI. “In the past, whenever a job advertisement was released, a ‘chaacha-bhatija’ duo would immediately start extortion.

Young people could not get employment without bribes, monetary transactions or political recommendations. Today, I can state that in the last nine-and-a-half years, we have provided government jobs to more than 9.5 lakh youths in Uttar Pradesh.”Addressing the students at the event, he said: “By January 26, we will provide government jobs and distribute appointment letters to double the number of young people gathered here now.

Today, there is transparency and honesty. There are abundant opportunities for the youth.

There are no more curfews or riots; everything is going well in Uttar Pradesh.” Referring to the state's population, Adityanath said previous governments had described it as a burden nine or 10 years ago. “We did not view it as a burden. Instead, we recognised the population of 25 crore as a demographic dividend for Uttar Pradesh and India,” he said.He said the government's platforms, along with the skills and vision of young people and the opportunities available to them, had helped demonstrate the potential of the BJP's “double-engine” government in Uttar Pradesh.

Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh had overcome what he described as an identity crisis and that the present generation was fortunate to be led by a “double-engine” government under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Questioning the situation faced by students before 2017, he said academic sessions at schools and colleges were earlier not completed on time.Speaking about the potential of young people, the chief minister said: “You possess the strength of Bajrang Bali.

Just as Bajrang Bali himself needed to be reminded of his own power, we felt it was necessary to make our youth aware of their own potential.”He described India as the world's youngest nation, saying 56 per cent of its population was young. He also said Uttar Pradesh was India's youngest state, with young people accounting for 56 to 60 per cent of its population. “It is this faith in the power of youth, combined with their hard work, that has led to the miracle we are witnessing in Uttar Pradesh today.

This is a symbol of that very energy,” he said.Referring to Swami Vivekananda, Adityanath described him as a spiritual icon for every young Indian who took India's traditions to new heights on the global stage and challenged misconceptions about the country. “At a time when questions were being raised about the nation, he urged the youth of India to say with pride: ‘We are Hindus!’” he said.Adityanath said the tablet distribution programme, aimed at digitally empowering young people, had therefore been dedicated to Swami Vivekananda. He urged students to use the tablets for their studies, access digital libraries and learn about developments in India and across the world.Highlighting the historical role of young people, the chief minister cited Lord Ram's determination, Lord Krishna's message and the valour of 16-year-old Abhimanyu in the Mahabharata.

He said Gautam Buddha renounced worldly life and became a monk in his youth, while Adi Shankaracharya established four religious centres across the country.He also referred to Rani Lakshmibai's contribution to the 1857 revolt and the struggles of Guru Gobind Singh and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Remembering Kakori train action revolutionaries Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Thakur Roshan Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad, he said the young revolutionaries had sacrificed everything for India's freedom.Concluding his address, Adityanath urged young people to recognise their potential and follow the ideals of great personalities.

He reiterated his government's claims on transparent recruitment, employment opportunities and the digital empowerment of students through the tablet distribution programme.- Ends(With PTI inputs)