The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
‘Why raise Kanpur train mishap now?’
AKHILESH ASKS MODI
A DAY after Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged in Gonda that the derailment of the Indore-patna Express in Kanpur Dehat last year, in which 150 people were killed, was “a conspiracy hatched across the border”, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday asked why this issue was raised in the middle of elections to the state Assembly.
Addressing a rally in Itwa constituency of Sidharth Nagar in support of SP’S Mata Prasad Pandey, Akhilesh said he was expecting the PM to speak on Varanasi — Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency — receiving 24hour power supply at his rallies in Bahraich and Gonda.
“Kya keh kar chale gaye... ki patriyan jo toot gai hain... kat gai hain... jo Kanpur wala mamla hua hai.. woh ISI pe ishara karke chale gaye. Kamaal hai pradhan mantriji... jab chunav hain tabhi aapko in baaton ka yaad aa raha hai. Is se pehele koi report aapke paas nahin pahunchi kya? Ya aapne report mangwayi nahin (What did he say... about the broken tracks... the incident that took place in Kanpur... he hinted to the ISI... You [PM] remember such things only during elections... Didn’t you get a report on this earlier? Or didn’t you ask for a report),” he asked.
Akhilesh added: “I can say with complete responsibility... yeh samaaj ko dhokha dena chahte hain... chunav jab haar gaye hain... ladaai mein peeche reh gaye hain tab jaanboojh kar aise muddo ko aise maslon ko le kar ke aana chahte hain (They want to fool the society... When they have lost the elections... have been left behind in the battle... they purposely want to bring up such issues).”
On PM’S allegation that Muslim and Hindu areas do not receive equal power supply, Akhilesh said: “I have presented figures which show that more power was provided on Diwali when compared to Ramzan.” The CM added that he had ordered that Varanasi be provided 24hour power supply immediately after a veteran BJP MLA staged a dharna demanding the same.
Denying allegations that his government has discriminated in case of distribution of laptops to students as well, Akhilesh spoke of six beneficiaries who were given laptops and Kanya Vidhya Dhan. “They are Ramdeen, Abdullah, Jai Kumar, Rashtra Nidhi Singh, Ankita Mishra and Ishika Mishra... There has been no discrimination... The PM has insulted youths and toppers who had secured highest marks in examinations,” he said.
On Modi’s claim that exam centres were being auctioned in UP for copying, Akhilesh said he wanted to ask the PM whom he had copied when he wore a Rs15 lakh pinstripe monogrammed suit. “Hum to poochhte hain aapka woh suit kiski naqal ka tha... Aur phir nakal kaise rok loge (I want to know the suit was copied from whom... How will you stop copying),” he asked.
On PM’S retort on his donkey remark, Akhilesh told the gathering: “In Bahraich, the Prime Ministergavea10-minutespeech ondonkeyandbjpleaderstoldme that UP CM does not know the speciality of donkey... Tell me do I want to know qualities of a donkey? Do you want to know that?”
“If not, you people need to help me... do not know where they have reached... Yeh kabristan, shamshan ki taraf ja rahe hain aur Holi, Diwali ki baat kar rahe hain (They are going towards graveyard and cremation ground and talking about Holi and Diwali).”