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Stop doing politics in Lord Ram’s name: Samajwadi Party chief in Uttar Pradesh assembly
The Samajwadi Party chief also said the Uttar Pradesh government’s largest ever budget of ₹7.36 lakh crore (2024-25) did not have anything for most of the people.
Samajwadi Party chief and leader of opposition Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said Lord Ram has a place in the hearts of all the people and the BJP should stop playing politics in Ram’s name.
“Lord Ram is there in the hearts of the people. Lord Ram has been there and will always be there. Lord Ram was there before us and will be there after us, too. Stop playing politics in the name of Lord Ram,” Yadav said, speaking in the debate on the annual budget for 2024-25 in the Uttar Pradesh assembly here.
Akhilesh Yadav said he has been questioned for remembering the name of Ram.
Akhilesh Yadav questioned the claim that they brought Ram, saying it was an insult not only to Lord Ram but also to religion.
The SP chief further said chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who made all the preparations for the January 22, 2024 consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla’s idol at the Ram temple, was sidelined at the Ayodhya event.
“You made all the preparations but someone else took the credit,” Yadav said without naming the chief minister.
Akhilesh Yadav also said Yogi government’s largest ever budget of ₹7.36 lakh crore (2024-25) did not have anything for most of the people. The state government has not been able to make use of the budgetary funds, he alleged.
“There is nothing in the state budget for 90 per cent of the people. Ninety per cent of the budget is there for 10 per cent of the elite,” he said.
Giving a department wise breakup of the expenditure, he said the state government was able to use only parts of the budgetary allocations even in important sectors like home, energy, agriculture and sports. He questioned the state government on the issues of doubling income of farmers, old age pension scheme and making roads pothole free.
The SP chief also asked the state government to clarify the GSDP growth rate and the roadmap to achieve the objective of making the state a trillion-dollar economy. He also questioned the NDA government over the issue of India becoming the fifth largest economy.
Akhilesh Yadav recited some couplets to counter minister for finance Suresh Khanna, who had used verses in his budget speech, and said these couplets were from those who followed the socialist ideology. The SP chief said the state government was using the couplets to divert attention from facts.
