SP discriminating power supply on religious grounds: Goyal

VARANASI: Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday accused the Samajwadi Party government of discrimination in power supply on religious grounds in Uttar Pradesh. Goyal said only big houses in SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's Saifai village were getting 24-hour power supply whereas rest of the state was reeling under power cuts.

He said UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and senior SP leader Azam Khan have admitted their government does not act against those who had taken illegal power connection (locally called as 'Katiya') in Uttar Pradesh.

Goyal warned those with illegal power connections to mend their ways, saying, "If BJP comes to power in UP it will not spare such dishonest people "and added that "we will not let such people enjoy illegal electricity in their houses on the hard earned money of honest men who pay their electricity bills on time and on whose money the entire state gets uninterrupted power supply".

Goyal also accused the Akhilesh-led UP government of discriminating in power supply on religious grounds.

He alleged there are some areas in the state with large Muslim population that were getting power supply on priority basis. "Its really a serious issue that the UP government is discriminating in providing power connections to people," he said. "Only big houses lined in Saifai village enjoy 24X7 uninterrupted power supply and rest of the state faces power cuts," he said.

Taking jibes at Akhilesh, Goyal said "Akhilesh does not need to take 'Ganga Maiyya Ki Saugandh'", saying the UP CM can check all the data regarding electricity supply on union government's 'Urja' and 'Garv' apps.