Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday claimed that India would have gained Independence from the British in 1857 had there been expressways between Azamgarh and Patna back then.

“The people of Azamgarh would have rushed to help Kunwar Singh, the hero of the first war of Independence in 1857, had there been road connectivity. The people of Azamgarh would have helped Veer Kunwar Singh and driven away the British if there had been a Purvanchal Expressway at that time. This country would have become independent in 1857,” Adityanath claimed at a public meeting in Azamgarh.

He was speaking after inaugurating the 91km Gorakhpur Link Expressway that joins the 340km Lucknow-Ghazipur Purvanchal Expressway. Adityanath said a six-lane road would be built soon up to Patna.

Kunwar Singh, the ruler of the Jagdishpur estate in the Bhojpur region of Bihar, had led a rebellion in 1857. He took command of the soldiers who had turned rebellious in Patna’s Danapur and then captured Ara. Although he was injured, Singh reached Lucknow after crossing the Ganga in Buxar. On his way back, he captured Azamgarh. Later, the British forced him to retreat to Ara, where he died in 1858 while his brother Amar Singh continued to fight the British army.

Adityanath said the people of the country and the world give respect to the youths of Azamgarh when they introduce themselves.

“People used to fear taking the name of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh eight years ago. Azamgarh had an identity crisis despite giving two chief ministers to the state. But Azamgarh has now turned into a place of bravery under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Azamgarh is now in the mainstream of development,” he said. “Earlier, Azamgarh was blamed for every terrorist activity in the country.”

“This insecurity is no longer there for the youths of Azamgarh. We will hand over the ticket to hell in advance to those who create any problem for Azamgarh. I am here to tell you that those who are a threat to the security of the people have got a reserved ticket (to hell),” he said, reminding that Azamgarh was also blamed in the past for some people’s connections with the Dawood Ibrahim gang.

The BJP and other Hindutva groups had dubbed Azamgarh as Atankgarh (the land of terror) and “nursery of terrorism”.

“The youths of Azamgarh used to be blamed if any terrorist activity happened in the country. But the crisis of identity is no longer there for these youths,” Adityanath said.