Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said that over the last four years “a flower of lies had blossomed in a swamp” under the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh through the party's “deceit” and “betrayal” of the people.
The phrase used by Mr. Yadav in Hindi “Daldal mein khila hai jhooth ka phool” was a veiled attack on the BJP’s symbol, the lotus, soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attacked the SP symbol, the cycle, using it to level allegations of corruption against the SP during its regime. Mr. Modi used the phrase “cycle of corruption”.
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Yadav said the BJP had not delivered on its promises and the dreams of jobs, investment and lower prices offered by the party were far from reality.
While the party had promised to double the income of farmers, they were being forced to set their crop on fire as they were unable to get a fair price, said Mr. Yadav.
Mr. Yadav asked by reporters to comment on the Prime Minister’s allegations made during an event to inaugurate nine medical colleges across the State.
The SP leader countered the charges and asked, “Where was the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh when people needed medicine, treatment and oxygen during the second wave of COVID-19.”
“The BJP government left people and poor of U.P. anaath (orphaned),” said Mr. Yadav.
On the new medical colleges, Mr. Yadav asked if the government had provided enough funds for the existing medical colleges in Saharanpur, Budaun, Kanpur, Lucknow and Agra.
Countering Mr. Modi's allegations that the Samajwadi Party government had neglected Purvanchal, Mr Yadav accused him of lying. He pointed out that his government had built a major bridge to connect Ballia to Bihar and started work on the Purvanchal Expressway but the BJP was yet to complete the project. He accused the BJP government of reducing the quality of the Expressway to cut costs.
“It’s possible that looking at the election in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, all three new farm laws may be scrapped. And after elections, they will bring new laws,” Mr. Yadav said.
At the press conference, two senior OBC MLAs recently expelled by the BSP said they would formally join the SP on November 7 at a Satta Parivartan Janadhesh Rally in Ambedkar Nagar, where Mr. Yadav will be the chief guest.
While Lalji Verma was the BSP's leader of the Legislative Assembly, Ram Achal Rajbhar was former BSP U.P. president.
“We felt that if there can be an alternative to BJP’s misgovernance and Centre for setting up samta mulk, it can be the Samajwadi Party,” said Mr. Verma. Both leaders have been MLAs for five terms.
