Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday slammed the previous governments and alleged that they failed to provide education for the underprivileged in the state.

Adityanath said this as he unveiled a plan for the expansion of the state-run Atal Residential Schools from the current 18 to 2,000 in a phase-wise manner.

The UP government runs these schools to provide free-of-cost education along with residential facilities and study materials to meritorious children from economically weaker sections and underprivileged classes.

Inaugurating the 2024-25 academic session for these schools from one such institution in Lucknow's Mohanlalganj, Adityanath said, "The previous governments had the resources but failed to provide education for the underprivileged."

"The establishment of Atal Residential Schools aims to challenge the very foundations of those who seek to create chaos, anarchy, and mafia influence in the realm of education," Adityanath said, according to an official statement.

Invoking Atal Bihari Vajpayee's thoughts, Adityanath recalled the former prime minister often said that "no force in the world could prevent a society that successfully combats illiteracy and deprivation from becoming secure and prosperous".

"He (Vajpayee) considered illiteracy and scarcity to be the society's greatest enemies," Adityanath said, adding, "When he (Vajpayee) had the opportunity to lead the government, he implemented a comprehensive action plan to tackle these deep-rooted issues at their core."

Criticizing those who engage in "divisive politics", he questioned, "How could individuals who incite caste-based conflicts and fuel social discord in the name of social justice understand the sting of poverty? "

He asked whether those who have never experienced poverty and who have long exploited others and spread anarchy can truly grasp the struggles of registered workers affiliated with the BOC board or the plight of children who lost their parents or guardians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"These individuals neither have the time nor the inclination to understand such suffering, as they are solely focused on their political agendas. Their only goal is to divide people for political gain. They do not want the underprivileged to escape poverty, deprivation, or illiteracy because if this were to happen, their divisive politics would collapse. They intend to push society toward division by any means necessary," he said.

Adityanath said the Atal Residential Schools should set a benchmark for quality education. Every child, irrespective of caste, appearance, region, or language, should have equal access to the country's resources without discrimination.

"To ensure this right, Atal Residential Schools have been established as a model for inclusive education," he said.

Outlining the expansion plan for Atal Schools, Adityanath said funds have been allocated to the Basic Education Council for establishing schools in 57 districts in the next session.

"The schools will be known as CM Composite Schools, and in the third phase, the initiative will be expanded to all tehsils. With 350 tehsils in the state, one school will be built each. In the fourth phase, similar schools will be established in 825 development blocks, ensuring no poor child is deprived of quality education," he said.

"Ultimately, 2,000 such schools will be operational across the state, providing quality education to children," he added.