Don’t elect people with a ‘narrow mindset’ to power: Nadda in UP

LUCKNOW: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, launched a fresh attack on the Opposition on Saturday, saying people with “narrow mindset” should not be elected to power.

“On April 20, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modiji constituted a task force and he gave the country two vaccines (against coronavirus) in nine months... It is a separate matter (that the Opposition said) we will not get vaccinated. This is a vaccine of the BJP. Now, you have been vaccinated with the BJP vaccine. This tells the mindset of the leaders. Those who have a narrow mindset, how will they lead UP? This is something to think upon,” said Nadda, as he urged the people to “bless the BJP again” in the 2022 assembly elections.

Nadda’s visit comes at a time Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for the next year’s assembly polls, in which the ruling BJP will be pitted against the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Congress and other regional fronts.

Addressing a meeting of the newly-elected chairpersons of zila panchayats and block panchayats, the BJP chief directed the officials to launch a mega awareness campaign about the initiatives and achievements of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and the Adityanath government in the state. “Visit your vicinity and check if anyone has not taken vaccines, if there is any house that doesn’t have a toilet, or free gas connection? It’s our duty to ensure that these benefits reach one and all, without any discrimination,” he said.

Attacking the Opposition, Nadda claimed that while the BJP cadres were helping the poor and the needy at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Opposition leaders were busy criticising the government and questioning the indigenous vaccines.

“They are working to mislead (people). They have damaged the country by saying ‘do you think that we are guinea pig’. Today, when I meet them, and ask whether they have taken the vaccine, they say ‘yes’,” said Nadda.

Hitting back at Nadda, Akhilesh Yadav said: “People are distressed with BJP. Samajwadi Party will win the elections by bagging the number of seats I had predicted and form the next government”.

(With PTI inputs)