Meerut, Jan 2 (FN Agency) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a dig at the previous UP governments, accusing that they had a different approach towards sports and there were only games of ‘criminals and maafias’ during their regime. “Previous governments policies were totally different for sports and sportspersons. They did not give importance to the capability of youth. There was no respect for sports. The criminals and maafias were playing their ‘games’,” Modi said, while addressing a mammoth gathering, after remotely laying the foundation stone of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University here, in presence of Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries. The sports varsity to be established at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore is named after Hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. In a veiled attack on the previous Samajwadi Party (SP) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) governments, the PM further said, “During earlier governments tenure, there were tournaments of ‘illegal encroachment’.
But, now the Yogi government is playing game of ‘jail-jail’ with such criminals. UP is getting impetus to real games.” “From training to selection, there was ‘Bhai-Bhatijawad’ (nepotism) and there was no transparency,” Modi said, attacking the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. In an apparent jibe on former UP CM and veteran SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, the PM said,”Government responsibility is like guardians and if youth make mistake one should not say that ‘ladkon se galti ho jati hein’.” Yadav repotedly made this remark while addressing a rally in UP’s Moradabad in 2014. On Major Dhyan Chand Sports University, the PM said, “We have to make ‘ecosystem’ of sports and for that infrastructure is necessary. Major Dhyan Chand Sports University is a step in this direction. Earlier, sports was considered as an extra curricular activity but now it will be a subject under National Education Policy (NEP), he informed. The Prime Minister said through ‘Khelo India’ in every nook and corner of the country talented youths are being identified. “ Meerut and its surrounding areas contributed significantly in giving new direction to independent India. Be it sacrifices in the border or with stupendous performances in the playground,” he said.