Lucknow, Oct. 16 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said his government would not allow anyone to disrupt the festivities of Diwali and those attempting to cause any disturbance in the state would be sent to jail. Assuring security to all the women and others, he warned, "If anyone tampers with a daughter's safety, Yamraj will be waiting at the next intersection with a ticket. We are committed to ensuring security for every girl, trader, and citizen." Asserting that his government is not the one that succumbs to rioters and knows how to give a befitting reply to anyone creating trouble, he said all the festivals in the past eight years-from Holi, Diwali, and Eid to Christmas and Guru Parva-have been celebrated in peace, harmony and with enthusiasm. "This is not a government that surrenders to rioters. Anyone attempting to disrupt the festival of joy will end up behind bars," he said, while distributing gas cylinder refill subsidies under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana at Lok Bhavan, terming it a Diwali gift for poor families. In all, 1.86 crore families would benefit and a sum of Rs 1500 crore has been earmarked for the purpose. The CM targeted the Samajwadi Party-led government that ruled the state till 2017, saying the previous regime did not think beyond the Saifai family. Saifai was the native village of Samajwadi Party founder, the late Mulayam Singh Yadav. "People of one single family used to get benefited and development schemes were hijacked by the politics of 'uncle-nephew'," he said. The previous government gave jobs to a select few and the funds meant for development were misused, he added. The state was not able to celebrate festivals back then as there was the mafia in every district and the Samajwadi Party leaders/ministers and the chief minister allowed these elements to indulge in rioting, he said. He said the state government was continuing its 2021 decision to provide free LPG refills to Ujjwala beneficiaries on Holi and Diwali. For the first time since independence, the poor have received benefits without discrimination under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, he said. "Before 2014, even obtaining a gas connection was difficult, but today, over 11 crore poor families nationwide, including 1.86 crore in Uttar Pradesh, have received free LPG connections. Ujjwala Yojana has brought dignity and health to women who once cooked with wood or coal," he remarked. Yogi appealed for a Swadeshi Diwali and urged the people to buy indigenous products made by local artisans and potters. "The lamps in our homes should be made by our potters and the idols of Laxmi and Ganesh by our craftsmen. Only when their hands prosper will the nation prosper," he said. He quoted Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and Acharya Shankaracharya and said, "God does not dwell in a home without compassion for the poor. Every family should help at least one needy person-this is the true spirit of Diwali."...