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UP polls: Modi says Samajwadi Party brings in new ally in each election

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also underlines that the law against triple talaq has saved thousands of families of Muslim women from breaking up in Uttar Pradesh

Published on: Feb 14, 2022, 22:48:11 IST
By , KANPUR
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took a jibe at the Samajwadi Party (SP) and said the party brings in a new ally in each election and wondered if it could be trusted by the people.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally for the UP polls in Kanpur Dehat. (ANI PHOTO)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally for the UP polls in Kanpur Dehat. (ANI PHOTO)

Modi also said the law against triple talaq has saved families of thousands of Muslim women from breaking up in Uttar Pradesh.

He was addressing an election rally at Akbarpur in Kanpur Dehat, where polling is scheduled on February 20.

“Every election, they bring in a new partner. Once the elections are over, they kick that partner out,” he said in an apparent reference to the Samajwadi Party.

When they keep changing allies, how can they serve the people of Uttar Pradesh, he asked.

“Let March 10 (counting day) come, they will be at each other’s necks, cursing and abusing. That is their character,” Modi said.

Amid the hijab controversy, the prime minister said Muslim women were backing the BJP in the elections. Highlighting the positive impact of the improved law and order situation on the lives of Muslim women, he said had they made up their mind to bless Modi.

Asserting that Muslim women have benefitted heavily in last seven years (of BJP rule at the Centre), he recounted the horrors of triple talaq (instant divorce) and how it was scrapped by his government.

“This practice was ruining the lives of women. parents lived in constant fear of their daughter being divorced in one sitting,” he said.

“We have protected the Muslim women through a law and saved thousands of households from breaking up,” the prime minister said on Monday when polling for second phase of UP assembly elections was held.

Asking the people to celebrate Holi 10 days in advance on March 10, the PM said the BJP decimated the opposition thrice in 2014, 2017 and 2019 and this time it would defeat the dynasts, who worry about their families rather than the people.

Modi also hit out the Trinamool Congress (TMC), asking the election commission and the voters of Uttar Pradesh to take notice of it purportedly announcing to divide the Hindu votes in Goa.

“I appeal to the voters to bury this politics of division,” he said.

Stepping up the attack on previous governments, he alleged they did grave injustice to capabilities of Uttar Pradesh by brazenly looting the state and passing the baton on to criminals and the mafia.

“When in power, they had distributed areas among themselves to loot the money meant for the people — uncle to loot in a particular area, nephew in another area. That was their model of governance,” he said.

“If they had their way, they would have created Mafiagunj in every district,” he said.

On the other hand, the Yogi government cracked down on the Mafiosi, putting them on the death bed, the prime minister said.

If these Mafiosi get a “doctor” like Samajwadi Party, they would be back on their feet again and rule Uttar Pradesh, he said while asking the people to stay alert and ensure the rival party doesn’t come back to power.

The Samajwadi Party rule, Modi alleged, was riddled with scams, particularly the ration scam in which forged ration cards were used to deprive the poor of its food.

The double engine government (BJP at Centre and in UP) made sure the people get a double dose of free ration even in the pandemic, Modi asserted.

He said the previous government had created an atmosphere of fear in UP where people were afraid of making investments. The small farmers and marginalised people were looted and befooled, Modi alleged.

He said the BJP brought development and big-ticket projects to change lives, prosperity and progress.

Modi assured that the stray cattle menace—a big poll issue in the Kanpur-Bundelkhand region— would be taken care of.

  • Haidar Naqvi
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Haidar Naqvi

    Haidar Naqvi is an Assistant Editor with the Hindustan Times in Kanpur and has been with the newspaper since May 1997, after beginning his journalism career with The Times of India. Over more than three decades, he has reported on terrorism, internal security, politics, governance and public affairs, with a particular focus on the changing nature of extremist movements in India.From 2008 to 2011, Haidar was part of the Hindustan Times National Reporting Team, contributing to coverage of some of the country's most significant security stories. He was among the reporters who covered the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as they unfolded and continued reporting on the investigation that exposed the conspiracy behind them.His reporting has followed the rise and evolution of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), the Indian Mujahideen and India's counter-terrorism response, alongside extensive coverage of organised crime and the underworld. He has also reported on Indian Mujahideen serial blasts, the Maoist insurgency, communal riots, parliamentary and assembly elections, and major political developments. Over the years, he has interviewed political leaders, senior police officers, intelligence officials and policymakers, while reporting from communities affected by violence, conflict and public policy.Beyond national security, Haidar has covered politics, minority affairs, governance, wildlife and human-interest stories across Central Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand. A recipient of the coveted Hindustan Times' Star Award, he brings historical perspective, field experience and institutional knowledge to reporting on the intersection of security, governance and society.Read More