Profits earned by foreign firms selling goods in India being used to fund terrorism, conversion: Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday claimed that profits earned by foreign companies through sale of their goods in India are being used to fund terrorism, Naxalism, religious conversion, and 'love jihad' in the country. He urged people to adopt Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'vocal for local' campaign to support indigenous products and artisans.

Addressing a gathering here, Adityanath said, ''If our money goes to our artisans and craftsmen, it becomes the foundation for development and prosperity. But if our own money goes into foreign hands, that profit will be used against India - in the form of terrorism, religious conversion, and explosions to destabilise the country. That is why swadeshi (indigenous goods) is the need of the hour.'' His remarks come days after Modi, in a speech in Varanasi on August 2, called for greater emphasis on indigenous products, especially in light of heavy tariffs being imposed on Indian goods by some countries, including the US.

Highlighting the success of the 'One District, One Product' (ODOP) initiative launched in 2018, the chief minister said the influx of Chinese goods during festivals has significantly reduced.

''Before 2017, whenever a festival approached, the market would be flooded with Chinese goods. But after the implementation of ODOP, our artisans began producing items based on market demand,'' he said after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of 186 development projects worth Rs 958 crore in Aligarh.

Without naming any country, Adityanath alleged, ''When profits go into foreign hands, that money facilitates terrorism, Naxalism, religious conversions, and love jihad. We have witnessed this even before independence and continue to see it. Hence, when the prime minister calls for swadeshi, it should become our collective mission - whether in daily life or during festivals.'' Referring to upcoming festivals like Raksha Bandhan (August 9), Janmashtami (August 16), Gandhi Jayanti (October 2), Dussehra, and Diwali, he called upon people to prefer swadeshi products to revive Mahatma Gandhi's vision.

''Swadeshi once formed the backbone of India's freedom movement. People across the country joined movements inspired by Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi). Today, it is our responsibility to turn that vision into reality again,'' he added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)