On the second day of Navratri, as devotees across Uttar Pradesh honour Maa Brahmacharini — the goddess of penance and resolve — Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath drew a direct line between divine feminine power and the state's evolving record on women's safety, arguing that a state once defined by its failures on this front has been fundamentally transformed.

Posting on Monday, October 12, 2026, CM Yogi wrote that the goddess's mantra of austerity and determination teaches us 'ki dridh ichchhashakti se asambhav dikhne wale lakshya bhi siddh kiye ja sakte hain' — 'that even goals that appear impossible can be achieved through unwavering willpower.' He then applied that frame directly to governance: Uttar Pradesh, he said, which was 'mired in questions' about women's security before 2017, has today become a new symbol of women's safety and empowerment.

Nine Years of Zero Tolerance: What Changed in UP

The Chief Minister credited 9.5 years of a declared zero-tolerance policy against crime and criminals, combined with technology-based surveillance, swift police action, and public-awareness campaigns, for creating what he described as a 'fear-free environment' for women across the state. The framing is deliberate: in the years before the BJP came to power in Lucknow in 2017, Uttar Pradesh routinely ranked among the worst states in India for crimes against women — a political liability the administration has worked methodically to address.

Mission Shakti's Five Phases and the Safe City Push

CM Yogi specifically highlighted Mission Shakti — run across five phases — as the operational backbone of the safety architecture. The mission, alongside the Safe City Project, dedicated Mission Shakti Kendras (help centres), and Women Beat Policing, has together built what he called a 'comprehensive and robust foundation' for women's security. Each of these initiatives targets a different vulnerability: safe-city infrastructure addresses public spaces; beat policing makes law enforcement visible and accessible at the neighbourhood level; mission centres provide a first-response support system.

Women in Uniform: From 10,000 to 44,000

The most striking data point in the post is institutional: the UP women police workforce has grown from 10,000 to more than 44,000, backed by a 20% reservation in police recruitment. Alongside this, the state has raised three dedicated Women PAC Battalions — named after historical warrior women: Veerangana Uda Devi Pasi in Lucknow, Veerangana Jhalkari Bai Kori in Gorakhpur, and Veerangana Avantibai Lodhi in Badaun. The choice of names — all from marginalised communities who fought in the 1857 uprising — carries both historical resonance and deliberate social messaging about whose legacy the state chooses to celebrate.

CM Yogi closed by invoking the state government's guiding resolve: 'Sashakt Nari, Samridh Uttar Pradesh' — 'Empowered Women, Prosperous Uttar Pradesh' — framing safety not as an end in itself but as the first step toward broader economic and social empowerment. The post ended with 'Jai Mata Ki', anchoring the governance message firmly within the Navratri context.

With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on the horizon, the administration's sustained emphasis on women's safety as a measurable governance achievement — complete with workforce numbers and named battalions — signals that this issue will remain central to the ruling party's re-election argument.