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Voters’ list revision: If needed, SP will stage sit-in protest against EC, says Akhilesh
This time, the Election Commission has not given the list (of names included and struck off) to the political parties (to cross-check), says the Samajwadi Party president
LUCKNOW Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said if needed his party will stage a sit-in protest against the Election Commission (in Lucknow and Delhi) over the issue of voters’ list revision for 2022 UP Assembly polls.
“The EC has added over 21 lakh new names and removed over 16 lakh names in the UP voters’ list revision. This time, the EC has not given the list (of names included and struck off) to the political parties (to cross-check). Till 2019 Lok Sabha elections, EC gave the lists to the political parties, then why not this time?,” asked Akhilesh at a press conference at the SP office, which he called to talk about demonetisation on its fifth anniversary.
The former chief minister said his party’s state president Naresh Uttam Patel, along with a party delegation, had met the chief election officer (CEO), UP, in this regard and gave him a memorandum. “We will give the memorandum at Delhi (EC) also, and if need be, sit on a dharna,” he said.
Akhilesh also said: “Most of the officers posted in the EC, I understand, were sent from UP.”
Before starting the press conference, Akhilesh Yadav celebrated the birthday of Khazanchi, the child who was born in a bank queue in Kanpur Dehat on December 2. The SP chief gave him several gifts including a bottle of ‘Samajwadi Itra (perfume)’.
Akhilesh and his party celebrate Khazanchi’s birthday twice a year, every year, since the first anniversary of demonetisation. The child is often referred to as ‘demonetisation baby’ and he was named Khazanchi (treasurer) by the manager of the bank outside which the boy was born.
Attacking the BJP on demonetisation, Akhilesh said: “It is the BJP that should celebrate Khazanchi’s birthday. Demonetisation was their gift to people to ruin the economy and businesses. The BJP has not been enumerating the benefits of demonetisation. Black money did not end, corruption rose, and corruption in UP rose unprecedentedly. The BJP had been telling people through TV channels that the new currency had a chip to check black money. Demonetisation did not end black money. Money itself is not black or white, it is the transactions that you or I do that are black or white. Demonetisation was done deliberately to trouble people.”
Stating that the present “ruin in the economic condition” was created by the BJP, he said: “The masterstroke (demonetisation) turned out brain stroke.”
Traders and businesses were ruined after the way demonetisation and GST were implemented, said Akhilesh.
The former CM also displayed an empty cylinder and said: “This is empty and we did not get it refilled for it will expose the high price of the cylinder.”
‘BJP triple-engine govt will not let justice prevail’
Taking about the Lakhimpur Kheri case and the Supreme Court’s observation on it, Akhilesh said: “Today, SC also questioned the UP government over the case and made harsh observations. SC is saying that attempts were being made to save the guilty. Since the beginning, the SP had been saying that till the BJP is in power forget about justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri case. ‘BJP Triple engine’ government will not let justice happen. Triple engine--the BJP government in the state, the BJP government at the centre, and the BJP government of MoS (Ajay Mishra Teni whose son is the accused in the case). The MoS has not resigned even till now.”
He said the SIT (special investigation team) is of the state government, it will do what the state government will tell it to do.
He added: “That’s why I say, Baaees mein badlav hoga (there will be change in 2022) and justice will be done.”
Talking about law and order in UP, Akhilesh said: “Look what happened in Fatehgarh jail. Inmates bashed up jailers and other officers and staff.”
SAMAJWADI PERFUME
SP national president Akhilesh Yadav also launched a perfume ‘Samajwadi Itra (perfume)’ produced by an SP MLC Pushpraj Jain. “The perfume will end hatred in 2022,” said Jain. The perfume bottle and box are red and green (in Samajwadi Party colours) while the carton also has a picture of Akhilesh Yadav. Akhilesh said: “The perfume will spread the fragrance of SP government’s development works and party’s development agenda.”
ASKS SP MLA TO END FAST
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav also made an appeal to the SP Gauriganj MLA to end his fast and rather eat well, get strong and fight against the BJP government.
“It is my appeal to the MLA to end the fast. Why fast against the blind and deaf BJP government. Instead, eat well, get strong and fight the BJP government to oust it,” Akhilesh said and added that party leaders led by leader of opposition Ramgovind Chaudhary will meet the MLA asking him to end the fast.
SP MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh is on fast since October 31 and late last week the police picked him up and admitted him to the Civil hospital (Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Hospital) on Saturday afternoon. Singh had been on hunger strike since October 31, the day he submitted his resignation from his Vidhan Sabha membership to the Speaker of UP Assembly, HN Dixit, saying that the BJP government was not cooperating in some road construction work in his constituency Gauriganj (Amethi).
