“Sanyas is the path of hard work and struggle, not escape,” said Yogi Adityanath.

Lucknow: “People used to criticize me for taking Sanyas. Today, I challenge them to understand its true essence. Material achievements can never satisfy a person. It’s true that I am Chief Minister today, but when I took Sanyas, it was not an escape but a path of labor and struggle. Even today, I work 16-18 hours, not for positions, but because it’s my duty. I aim to prove the value of my Sanyasa. The asceticism of India’s Rishi tradition is correct. Today, I stand with those following Lord Krishna’s principles and work for the relief of the oppressed,” said CM Yogi Adityanath while addressing questions from students at a prestigious newspaper’s meritorious student award ceremony at the Indira Gandhi Foundation in Gomti Nagar on Saturday.

“Standing with the victims is the meaning of my life,” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath responded when asked by meritorious students. He acknowledged that the decision to take Sanyas was a challenge for him and his parents, as no parent wants their child to become a hermit. “In childhood, I wanted to pursue engineering, like today’s children. However, I realized that standing with victims is more meaningful than any engineering position. This defines my life’s purpose,” he added.

“There is no substitute for hard work,” he emphasized, stressing that hard work always pays off. “Obstacles indicate a need to correct course. Healthy criticism is as valuable as support; it enriches the joy of success,” he noted. CM Yogi Adityanath encouraged students to read Prime Minister Modi’s book ‘Exam Warriors.’

“Politics isn’t a full-time job; we need experts from every field,” Yogi Adityanath remarked, advocating for a continuous team effort for national development. “I believe the younger generation is ready. Politics should welcome educators, journalists, doctors, farmers—diverse voices foster healthy debate,” he stated. He cited Lord Krishna as his political role model, asserting that divisive politics based on caste, family, or region betrays the nation.

“Position and prestige follow hard work,” he highlighted, recognizing caste divisions as India’s greatest weakness historically. “We must strive to build a unified India where merit shines over caste. Let’s work diligently for a developed India by 2047, as envisioned by PM Modi,” he urged, congratulating high-achieving students, particularly noting the impressive performance of female students in board exams.

Krishna Tiwari, Sonam Pathak, Ishan Pachauri, Shambavi Dwivedi, and Krishna were among the students who posed questions to CM Yogi. The event also saw CM Yogi felicitating top-performing students from various examinations, joined by state government ministers Gulab Devi, Kapil Dev Aggarwal, Dayashankar Singh, and Sandeep Singh.