Lucknow, Aug 16 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said the life and legacy of Veerangana Avantibai Lodhi was a source of inspiration for today’s youth and informed that work on a new PAC battalion named after the warrior queen in Budaun district was nearing completion.
“The personality of Veerangana Avantibai Lodhi is a source of inspiration for today’s youth. With the aim of making her ideals a guiding force in Uttar Pradesh, the state government has advanced the process of establishing three new women’s battalions of the Uttar Pradesh PAC,” Adityanath said in Lucknow after garlanding the statue of the warrior queen on her 196th birth anniversary.
“The work of setting up a new PAC battalion named after Veerangana Avantibai Lodhi in Budaun district is nearing completion, and the process of installing her equestrian statue there is in its final stage,” he said.
Adityanath said Avantibai Lodhi was one of the great revolutionaries of the 1857 uprising and sacrificed her life for the country’s freedom.
“Her spirit of devotion towards the nation is truly commendable. Everyone pays homage to her memory with deep reverence, and every Indian bows in respect for her contribution to the country,” he said.
The chief minister said work on establishing women’s PAC battalions named after freedom fighters Uda Devi Pasi in Lucknow and Jhalkari Bai Kori in Gorakhpur was progressing rapidly. Equestrian statues of the two warriors are also being installed at the respective PAC battalions, he said.
The contributions, dedication, spirit of sacrifice and martyrdom of these warriors serve as a source of inspiration, he added.
Adityanath said the objective of these initiatives was to ensure the safety and dignity of women, enabling them to work with their heads held high in every sphere of society and promoting their self-reliance.
The “double-engine” government was taking these programmes forward under the guidance and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.
The chief minister said recruitment of women, constituting 20 per cent of the force, had been made mandatory in the Uttar Pradesh Police.
“Prior to 2017, there were only 10,000 women in the Uttar Pradesh Police force. Today, that number has risen to over 45,000. Women are no longer confined merely to slogans. The state government is committed to safeguarding the dignity and honour of women and fostering their self-reliance, enabling them to contribute with a spirit of ‘Nation First’ towards realising the vision of a self-reliant and developed India,” he said.
In a post on X in Hindi, Adityanath said he paid tribute to Avantibai Lodhi by garlanding her statue in Lucknow on her birth anniversary.
“An immortal freedom fighter, Avantibai Lodhi is one of the great warriors of India’s struggle for independence who dedicated her entire life to the nation. Every Indian bows in reverence to her valour and contributions,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, in a post on X in Hindi, also paid tribute to Avantibai Lodhi, describing her as a symbol of “extraordinary military prowess and unwavering patriotism”.
“Her indomitable courage, skilled leadership and supreme sacrifice for the freedom of the motherland form a glorious chapter in Indian history. Her revolutionary life will continue to inspire every generation with pride and dedication to national service,” Maurya said.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak also paid tribute to the warrior queen in a post on X in Hindi, describing her as an “epitome of courage and valour”. PTI NAV MDO MDO
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