Uttar Pradesh: BJP government stands firmly with traders, says deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has advised the opposition to not engage in ‘politics’ on the issue of traders

Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Wednesday said the BJP government stood firmly with the traders and said anyone harassing them won’t be spared. He also advised the opposition to not engage in “politics” on the issue.

Uttar Pradesh deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya. (FILE PHOTO)

“Traders are the most respected part of BJP family. They have played a key part in forming BJP governments at the Centre and in the state. The government stands firmly with them,” Keshav Prasad Maurya tweeted.

“Any official, government employee found harassing them needlessly would face action. The opposition should desist from engaging in politics on the issue,” Keshav Prasad Maurya added.

“Jab thay sarkaar main, gundon ke sardar thay (When in government, they patronised criminals),” Maurya said in response to opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhary and now, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, tweeting support to traders and slamming the government over GST surveys.

After a series of statewide protests, that included agitations and market closure, the GST surveys have been temporarily put off, traders said. The traders had also met defence minister Rajnath Singh, also the Lucknow MP, on the subject in Delhi and said Singh had assured them that no trader would be harassed.