BJP has not done any work of public interest in nine months: Akhilesh
LUCKNOW: Accusing the UP government of not doing any work of public interest in its tenure of nine months, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav asserted that people would punish the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Akhilesh made these remarks while addressing a gathering of traders at the Samajwadi Party office, during the conclave of the Uttar Pradesh Udyog Vyapar Sangathan on Sunday.
“Traders should openly support the SP as the Bharatiya Janata Party had harmed their interests by bringing in demonetisation and the Goods & Services Tax. In contrast, the Samajwadi Party always thinks about the welfare of traders and farmers, and bringing prosperity. The prosperity of traders is possible only when BJP is ousted and SP gains power in the state,” he said.
Akhilesh, who was also the chief guest at the programme, said, “The traders of UP are angry with BJP as its promise of bringing back black money after demonetisation has fallen flat, and its move to implement GST has jeopardised the existence of small and middle class traders. Also, crimes against traders in Mathura, Sitapur, Varanasi and Ghaziabad have created a feeling of insecurity, leading to exodus of traders to other states.”
Akhilesh also said that the “stamp of BJP on traders community” must go away as it was the SP that had given the community a large share of tickets during the civic bodies’ polls.
The former CM also reminded the gathering that the dial 100 service was introduced by the Samajwadi Party. “Because of dial 100, police can reach any place quickly, which has added to the safety of traders,” he said. He also spoke on how the Lucknow-Agra expressway had benefited both the farmers and the traders. “We had planned to connect Ghazipur and Balia with the expressway too, but BJP has stopped that work,” he added.
Meanwhile, party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and senior leader Mohammed Azam Khan were not present at the conclave.
Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agawal also addressed the gathering. He said that moves like implementing the GST had reduced the vote percentage of BJP in the recent elections (civic polls).
Senior SP leader Ramgopal Yadav said, “I had warned that the GST would harm the real estate and that is beginning to
AKHILESH YADAV ASSERTED THAT PEOPLE WOULD PUNISH THE BJP IN THE 2019 LOK SABHA ELECTIONS
show. Now, a law is being planned according to which if banks go broke, then the money of the common man would be gone.” He added that whatever relaxation was being given in GST was only because of the elections in Gujarat.
Hardoi MLA Nitin Agarwal called on the traders to prepare for the 2019 elections.