E-Paper
UP polls: Akhilesh hits out at BJP, rakes up Hathras case
Uttar Pradesh assembly election 2022: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also accuses the BJP of not keeping its promises
Amid the BJP’s attacks on the Samajwadi Party over the law and order situation during the previous regime, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday hit back at the ruling party by referring to the gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras in September 2020. The incident had caused a nationwide uproar.
Akhilesh Yadav was addressing a public meeting in Hathras where he said, “The unfortunate girl could not get treatment in time and when she died, (her) family members were not allowed to cremate her and were insulted. The girl’s body was forcibly cremated against wishes of the family.”
Also, in Hathras, Akhilesh Yadav targeted the BJP regime for alleged bank scams.
“When a poor man goes to take a bank loan, he is asked to deposit his property documents but the rich get crores without anything kept as deposit and abscond after causing huge losses to the banks,” the SP chief alleged. Besides Hathras, Yadav addressed public meetings at Kasganj, Etah and Firozabad districts that will go to polls in the third phase on February 20. The second phase is slated for Monday (February 14).
He also said the SP-RLD alliance was way ahead of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls on February 10.
Samajwadi Party national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav shared the stage with Akhilesh Yadav at one such public meeting in Firozabad.
In his address, the Samajwadi Party president said, “Baba CM (a reference to Yogi Adityanath) was claiming that he will remove the heat from us (garmi nikal denge) but after the first phase of the election, the BJP leaders are themselves out in the cold because the SP-RLD combine is performing exceedingly well.”
Akhilesh Yadav also targeted the BJP for allegedly failing to keep its promises.
The Uttar Pradesh assembly elections would have an impact on national politics, he said. These polls were being contested to safeguard democracy and the constitution given by Dr BR Ambedkar, he added. This election is to save Uttar Pradesh, he stated. Without taking any name, Akhilesh Yadav urged voters in Sirsaganj (Firozabad) to defeat three-time SP MLA Hari Om Yadav, a relative of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. The SP denied the party ticket to Hari Om Yadav this time but the BJP fielded him.
“BJP leaders have been targeting us for parivarvaad (dynastic rule) and alleged that our family is increasing. But now we are thankful that they (BJP) are now reducing our family members by taking them away,” said Akhilesh Yadav in a jibe at the BJP for giving the party ticket to Hari Om Yadav.
“They (BJP) could not find any other candidate,” said Akhilesh Yadav, without naming Hari Om Yadav and asked his party supporters to teach him (Hari Om Yadav) a lesson.
Akhilesh Yadav also termed the BJP a party of liars.
“The BJP promised to double the income of farmers, but failed to do so and instead bought three farm laws against farmers. The Samajwadi Party regime in UP will create a memorial in the name of 700 plus farmers who died in the agitation and 25 lakh will be granted to the family of each of these farmers,” he said.
