Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday attacked the TMC government in West Bengal over violence during the recent panchayat elections, saying those raising "hue and cry over democracy are actually causing maximum harm" to it.

The chief minister, who distributed appointment letters to newly appointed officers selected through UP Public Service Commission and UP Subordinate Services Selection Commission examinations, also termed discrimination among citizens in providing jobs as the "biggest sin that a government can commit".

?“There was violence during the panchayat elections in West Bengal on the days of voting and counting, resulting in the loss of innocent lives. People, who are raising hue and cry over democracy today, are actually doing maximum harm to democracy," Adityanath said.?

?Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and other opposition leaders have been accusing the BJP of functioning in an undemocratic manner.

?In West Bengal, a massive violence rocked the panchayat polls held on July 8, which claimed at least 15 lives with 11 of them from the ruling TMC. Since the elections were announced last month, 33 people died in poll-related incidents.?

?However, Adityanath said in UP, the urban local body elections were held just three months ago and there was no violence anywhere, and no kind of malpractice.?

?This is the same state where conducting peaceful elections was once a dream before 2017, the CM was quoted as saying in an official release.

Adityanath said his government has established a system where there is no room for discrimination, whether at the stage of selection or final appointment.?

?"Discrimination among citizens in providing jobs is the biggest sin that a government can commit and people have taught a fitting lesson to those governments who did this, hindering the progress of the state's talents," he said.

? "No one can point a finger at the appointment process in Uttar Pradesh today. In the past six years, we have been successful in providing government jobs to six lakh youths," he added.

? The CM further said that between 2021 and 2023, the state government has completed 16 appointment letter programmes wherein about 55,000 youths have received appointment letters.?

? Speaking about the style of functioning of his government, he told the new officers, “Issues related to the entire state will come to you in one way or another. Our effort should be that any file should not stay on a table for more than three days.”

? The CM said that prior to 2017, the unemployment rate in the state was more than 19 per cent, but in the past six years, the state government has been successful in reducing the unemployment rate in the state.

? ?“We have also worked towards connecting over two crore youths with self-employment. Now, our government is planning to establish an Education Commission, which will integrate the processes of Higher Education, Secondary Education, and the Basic Education Selection Commission,” he added.

Adityanath said the benefits of reservation provided by the Constitution are being made available to every section of society.