Debate on 'Vision 2047' underway in UP Assembly

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Assembly's 24-hour marathon discussion on the "Vision 2047" document stretched well into Thursday morning, with legislators from both the treasury and opposition benches speaking over the future development blueprint.

At around 6.15 am, state Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna urged the Chair to limit members' speaking time to four minutes each, citing the large number of legislators still waiting to contribute to the special debate.

The discussion -- formally titled "Viksit Bharat-Viksit Uttar Pradesh, Aatmanirbhar Bharat-Aatmanirbhar Uttar Pradesh" -- began on Wednesday at 11 am and saw speeches continue through the night. The session is part of the ongoing Monsoon sitting of the Assembly.

The debate is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion of making India a developed nation by 2047. Modi had made the announcement during the 77th Independence Day speech.

During the discussion on Wednesday night, Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay hit out at the opposition for questioning the relevance of discussing plans for 2047.

"Only those leaders who think about the welfare of future generations can lay the foundation for the future, not those who only think about winning the next election," he said, adding that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was a "nation leader" for looking decades ahead.

Transport minister Dayashankar Singh said the opportunity to discuss Uttar Pradesh's role in a developed India in 2047 should be taken in a spirit above party politics.

MSME minister Rakesh Sachan highlighted that the state has 96 lakh micro, small and medium enterprises, the second-largest employer after agriculture, supporting nearly two crore families.

From the opposition benches, Samajwadi Party MLA Pallavi Patel argued that the vision must focus on comprehensive and sustainable development rather than only chasing top rankings or headline economic metrics.

She accused the BJP of promoting divisive politics that obstructs progress and said scientific, rational thinking was essential for real growth.

Patel also made a pointed remark contrasting India's underachievement with Japan's development through adherence to Buddhist principles, quipping that while Buddha is in India's soil "we are talking about cows and cow urine in the name of development." Speakers from both sides, including BJP MLA Pradeep Shukla and SP members Prabhu Nath Yadav and Ziauddin Rizvi, contributed to the marathon sitting.

Adityanath and Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey are expected to address the House later on Thursday.