Politics Of “Revenge”: PM Targets Akhilesh Yadav In 1st Virtual UP Rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today accused the opposition Samajwadi Party of inducing voters to “seek revenge” on the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, saying it was a far cry from the developmental policies of the Yogi Adityanath government.

Pitching it as “Nakli Samajwad (fake socialism) versus gareeb ka sarkaar (government of the poor)” he cited the homes for poor, policies for backward classes, medical colleges, greater connectivity through expressways, initiatives for Muslim women and the raising of marriage for women as the achievements of the BJP government at the Centre and the state.

“These days, people dream a lot. Only those who keep sleeping, dream… Yogi Adityanath is awake, committed to work for UP’s development,” PM Modi said in another apparent dig at Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav through a Jan Choupal programme, which was his first virtual rally for the state.

Mr Yadav, who is the biggest challenger to the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, has claimed that that Lord Krishna comes in his dreams every night to tell him that he would form the government in the state.

The Prime Minister also touched upon the burning problem of housing in the urban areas of Noida and Greater Noida (Gautam Budh Nagar), saying “corruption led to the suffering of thousands who bought flats in the area”.

Many housing projects in the industrial area have some to a standstill over alleged corruption by builders, jeopardizing the future of over 50,000 home buyers.

He promised a “special fund to complete the incomplete flats” in the area, where Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra started a door-to-door campaign today.

“We are trying to bring a change in Uttar Pradesh. And the opposition wants to take revenge. These people have given tickets to such people — their behavior is proof … people who have the riot mentality. Criminals want a friendly government in the state,” he said in his virtual programme, addressing the voters of Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Saharanpur and Gautam Budh Nagar.

The crucial Western Uttar Pradesh area votes in the first phase of election on February 10.

“India is taking care of every poor family under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. 15 crore citizens are getting free rations. This is the same UP, when 5 years ago, ration meant for the poor was stolen from rations shops. Today, every morsel is reaching the houses of the poor. This is the change that has come in the last five years,” PM Modi said.

“We need to worry about small farmers now… have started working towards it. Small farmers will change the rural scene,” he added, invoking farmer leader Chaudhary Charan Singh, the grandfather of opposition leader Jayant Chaudhary, an ally of Akhilesh Yadav. Mr Chaudhary, the chief of the Rashtriya Lok Dal, has a huge support base among the Jat farmers in the area, who are upset with the BJP over the imposition of the new farm laws.

Although the farm laws have been scrapped by the Prime Minister, a section of farmers have vowed to vote against the BJP in the state elections.