BJP’s foremost task is spreading hatred: Akhilesh
LUCKNOW : Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday branded the ruling BJP as a party that spreads ‘hatred’. He also accused it of trying to ‘divert people’s attention’ during the civic poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh.
“They did not do any development work so far but are adept at ‘giving opium (using religion)’ to people in elections. So be careful,” he said at a press conference here. The press conference was held for announcing the induction of two people- an eminent young scholar, Prof Ali Khan and Om Prakash Baghel alias Pappu Pehelwan into the Samajwadi Party on Friday.
Akhilesh claimed the presence of the SP’s Ayodhya mayoral candidate (a transgender) in the fray compelled UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to campaign for the civic polls in the state. Before this, no chief minister had campaigned in urban local bodies’ elections, he said.
The former chief minister also criticised the Yogi Adityanath government for the plight of potato farmers and non-payment of arrears to cane growers, among others.
“Nothing should be expected from the BJP now... its foremost task is how to spread hatred, divide people,” he said.
He also said:”The BJP is matchless in making false promises. The Lok Sabha manifesto was not fulfilled, the 2017 (assembly poll) manifesto remains a mirage, and now for the civic polls they have issued one more ‘chhal patra (document of deception).”
To a question on the possibility of entering into an electoral alliance with the BSP, the SP president said, “We are trying to work a way out (for) an alliance... We maintain good relations with all...SP is the best when it comes to striking and maintaining relationships.”
His remarks came after BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday said her party favoured joining hands with secular fronts in the Lok Sabha and state polls, only if it got a respectable number of seats to contest.
(WITH AGENCY INPUTS)