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UP polls: PM Modi says SP, Cong did nothing for Muslim women due to votebank politics
The BJP is hoping to tap into the female vote by emphasising the benefits of central government schemes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched an all-out attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party's rivals for neglecting the 'plight' of Muslim women in Uttar Pradesh in favour of vote-bank politics.
"These people (rival party leaders) ignored the biggest challenge in the life of Muslim daughters for their votes,” he said at a rally in Barabanki district on Wednesday.
"Because of their votes, these people (the rival political parties) ignored the mountain-like difficulties in the life of Muslim daughters. It is our government which has freed these Muslim sisters from the vicious cycle of triple talaq," he declared, making a strong pitch to Muslim voters, particularly women, ahead of polling in Barabanki on Sunday.
Insisting that it was the BJP that had prioritised the safety and well-being of "our daughters", the Prime Minister said his party's 'double engine' government had ensured their "safety and dignity".
"Increasing safety and dignity of our daughters has always been the priority of the government of double engine. So when you gave us the opportunity in 2014, we worked sincerely for it…" he said.
The Prime Minister pointed to the increased number of women police personnel - from 1.1 lakh to 2.25 lakh - as proof of the BJP government's focus on women's protection.
The BJP is also hoping to tap into the female vote by emphasising the benefits of central government schemes such as the Jan Dhan Yojana and the Ujwala cooking gas cylinder programme.
The BJP government is also working on a permanent solution to UP farmers' problems, he said.
"Crores of such small farmers are being helped by the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Our government is also working keeping in mind the needs of small farmers," the Prime Minister said, as his party bids for re-election in one of the states most badly affected by the farmers' protest against the farm laws.
The BJP has claimed that the agitation against the farm laws - scrapped last year in what was seen as damage control after the Lakhimpur Kheri violence - has no resonance on the ground in UP.
Farmers' discontent over unpaid dues - such as those pending to sugarcane growers - has been another major feature of the campaign of all political parties.
Last week the Prime Minister offered a guarantee at a rally in Saharanpur, saying the state government was working on a permanent solution and that "we (the BJP) fulfil our promises".
Polling is underway today for the fourth phase of the 2022 UP Assembly election.
This phase will decide the fate of 624 candidates across 59 segments in nine districts, including Lakhimpur Kheri, Unnao, Lucknow and the Congress stronghold of Raebareli.
Voting for the three remaining phases will take place on February 27, March 3, and 7, with results to be declared on March 10.
